


All That We Are

by Erberor



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Nuzlocke Challenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2019-10-12 01:26:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 25
Words: 53,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17457956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erberor/pseuds/Erberor
Summary: They called us Beast-Kin, and cast us out.But before long, we were all Kindred to the monsters that ended our world.Little is known about what led to the Calamity that brought the world to ruin. Some say it was an act of the Gods, some say it was a far darker power - Though it is of little concern now. The Kindred, corrupted fragments of humanity's legacy, have little time to ponder such matters in the face of a broken world.Valna did not wish to be a hero. She only wanted to be safe. Alone in the forests of Southeastern Unova, she scraped out an existence living in constant fear of the monsters surrounding her, until... She was found. She left on a journey to unveil the past, discover the nature of the Kindred, and inherit the future of her broken world.





	1. Something Hopeful

**Author's Note:**

> The laws that bind them
> 
> This is not the Unova of days past. It is something new, something dangerous. Far too much has changed to consider it the same land...  
> -Death is ever-present. To fall in battle is to lose everything.  
> -Those willing to fight are few, and far between. There is little chance to seek out more able fighters in these broken lands.  
> -There is no home to return to, no place to shelter from battle or wait to fight. The Kindred must fight until they perish or their task is complete.  
> -What chance is there to find another of one's kin when so few remain?  
> -Perhaps there is a chance to find something truly special, a shining light in the dark. It would be foolish to turn away such a gift.  
> -What Gods there may be have long since abandoned the Kindred. They must fight alone.
> 
> The Kindred were once human, but now they are at once something more, and something less. They are blessed with power once held only by the monsters, but never again can they bond with the Pokemon that once stood by their side.
> 
>  
> 
> Rules for the run  
> Gameplay is from Blaze Black, a difficulty ROMhack by Drayano. It is substantially harder than the normal game, and features a massive number of changes to the game, from pokemon distribution to rebalancing pokemon.  
> -Any Pokemon that faints in battle is dead.  
> -Only the first Pokemon found in each area may be used  
> -The PC may only be used as a graveyard. New Pokemon can only be obtained when there is room in the party, and they cannot leave unless they die. (First encounters for an area only count if there is room in the party to obtain them)  
> -Dupes Clause is on  
> -Shiny Clause is on  
> -Legendary Pokemon cannot be used
> 
> Finally, before I begin, I should clarify that Kindred are Gijinka, humans with Pokemon attributes about them, but I have chosen to rename them to better fit the tone of the story.

_My dearest Valna,_  
  
This is all the more that I can offer you. I know you'd rather have just about anything else for a gift, but I know you'll come to understand how important this is.  
  
A journal is more than a book. It's an anchor for all that you are. It holds all the memories you write inside, all the thoughts and feelings that you choose to record, and that holds a clearer image of who you are than anything else ever could. It serves as a reminder of who you are when you need it most.  
  
This is your story, Valna. Write your masterpiece.  
-Mom  


* * *

  
Day 1  
  
  
I forgot I had this book lying around. Found it half buried in silk in the corner of the burrow, which probably says something about how much I appreciated it when Mom gave it to me last year. What was wrong with me? Regardless of what I might have wanted, how many people in the world have ever even seen this much paper in one place? I don't even know how she got all this.   
  
Well... I guess this is a good way to remember her. The last few days I've been thinking about Mom constantly. I think it's been... maybe half a year since she  ~~disappeared~~  died. Might as well stop pretending she's going to come back and try to move on.   
  
I'm going to start keeping this journal. It's what she would have wanted.  


* * *

  
Day  ~~1~~  2  
  
I have no idea how I should date this thing, so I'll just start on day 1. No, 2. Yesterday is 1. Next time there's a new moon I'll start counting from there.   
  
Found some food today, but a Swellow chased me off before I could get it. It's been trying to get me for the better part of a week now, and it's really making it hard to get by.   
  
I sprained my ankle getting back to the burrow. Just hoping those berries are still there when I can walk right again.  


* * *

  
Day 3  
  
I think I need to get out of this burrow; there're too many memories here. I've been stuck inside with my twisted ankle all day, and it's given me a lot of time to remember better days. And when those days ended.   
  
It's not like things were all that great, but... I'm so alone. Mom and my brothers are gone, and I'm stuck here, still a Wurmple Kindred at the mercy of a five foot, bloodthirsty bird. If I evolved, I could at least get out of here, maybe find somewhere safer to live, but that would mean being stuck in a cocoon for days, and that sounds like a wonderful way to get eaten the moment a Pokemon finds me.  
  
I'll be able to walk tomorrow, I think. Foraging should help take my mind off things a bit.  


* * *

  
Day 4  
  
Berries are gone, nearly got seen by the Swellow again. I think it may be catching on to where the burrow is. Need to find another place before it figures out where I am.  
  
I thought I saw another Kindred while I was running back, but I couldn't risk drawing attention to myself. Probably would have been another raider anyway. I swear, as soon as anyone sees I'm a Wurmple Kindred they decide I'm too weak to put up a fight.  
  
They're probably right.  


* * *

  
Day 5  
  
Why.   
  
Just, why.  
  
That bastard bird found the burrow. I got out of there with my bag, but everything else is gone.   
  
I'm holed up in the hollow of a rotten stump. All my food was back home, so I'm starving, and a single day's worth of silk isn't doing anything to hold off the cold. All I can smell is mold and dirt, I can't even stretch out my legs, and there's a chunk of wood digging into my spine that I can't get rid of.   
  
There has to be more than this in the world. Among all the ruins and Pokemon, the endless days of hoping I don't get eaten, there have to be other Kindred somewhere. A town, a village, somewhere I could live without spending every day worrying about my survival, just...  ** _anything_  that isn't raiders and monsters!**  


* * *

  
Day 6  
  
It's not often that you find something to feel hopeful about these days, especially after yesterday. Or, in this case, something finds you. This morning a pair of other Kindred found me, curled up in a tangled mess of my own silk. As embarrassing as that was, they gave me some warm food and a cloak to keep out the cold.  
  
They're a Zigzagoon and... a Snivy, I think. Said their names are Iora and Cantor. Didn't think any Snivy Kindred were left in Unova, honestly.   
  
Cantor says they're going to find the Wellspring and reclaim Unova. After The Calamity, gods know we need it. But the Wellspring is a legend at best... and if it does exist, it's the same power that nearly ended the world generations ago.  
  
Iora asked if I wanted to come. I agreed. I don't think they'll find the Wellspring, but they seem strong. Iora isn't big, but she's a brawler, with the scars to prove it. Cantor, on the other hand... I haven't seen him fight yet, but I know I saw a sword under that leafy cloak, and that alone makes him more capable in a fight than I've ever been. They should be strong enough to protect me when I evolve.  
  
Oh hell, how am I supposed to explain the cocoon to them? Cantor didn't even know what a Wurmple was.  
  
I'll figure it out later. For now, I'll stick with them, at least until I fully evolve. I don't want to make a promise I intend to break, but I can't let this chance pass me by. I'm tired of hiding from the wandering Pokémon. I just want to live without that daily terror. I want to live outside of hiding, I want... I...  
  
... I want to fly.


	2. Striaton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did we ever truly realize the Wellspring's potential? How could we have known that the very font of creation, the potential to remake the world, lay beneath our feet? To think that for generations we overlooked the beating heart of the world itself, only opening our eyes as the world turned to ruin.

Day 7  
  
They can fight. Oh, gods they can fight. We ran into a bunch of Sentrets, and they didn't stand a chance. Before I could turn to run, Iora jumped and started beating the hell out of them, her giant, toothy grin never leaving her face. Cantor followed in and drove off some of them with a few swipes of his sword, and it was over.  
  
And because of that, we had meat at dinner. I can't even remember the last time I've eaten meat, and while it didn't taste all that good, I couldn't stop eating it. I feel like I should be rationing some for later, but I can't help it.  
  
Wait... didn't Mom say the first sign of an upcoming evolution is a big appetite spike? Dammit. Hope we can get to the Striaton ruins before that starts. I need somewhere to hide.  
  
On that note, Cantor's been telling me about his plan as we've walked. He says the Wellspring is at the Victor's Summit, in the far north of Unova. I think that's where the ruins of the old Pokémon League are? I remember reading something about it in one of the books Mom had.  It's hard to imagine that at some point humans were able to control those monsters. I know that they were a lot less dangerous before the Calamity, but I can't wrap my head around it.  
  
Maybe it's something to do with being fully human. I guess Kindred just lack whatever it is that would let us tame Pokémon.  
  
Right, the plan. Cantor says there are eight emblems needed to unlock the path to the Wellspring, and the first is somewhere in the ruins of Striaton. I asked him what the emblems are, but he dodged the question. So he doesn't even know what he's looking for.  
  
I don't know what to make of it. Iora is convinced beyond doubt that they'll succeed, but I don't see that in Cantor. He doesn't have the same spirit, and with how Iora is always charging ahead, I'm thinking she's the one pulling him along.  


* * *

  
Day 8  
  
Iora says we'll make it to the ruins by tomorrow night. I don't really know how she manages to keep track of where we are so well. Anytime Cantor starts thinking we're off track, she grabs his map, climbs the nearest tree for a few minutes, and figures out where we are before coming down and smacking him with the rolled up map.  
  
Honestly the sooner we get there the better. I've started feeling really strange. Almost like I'm not totally in control of myself. I keep having urges to find somewhere to hide, somewhere small and dark, and I can't stop eating. Fruit, roots, anything. I keep grabbing leaves and grass and chewing on it without thinking. I think Iora is noticing. Not sure about Cantor.  
  
That being said, I haven't eaten this well since Mom went missing. Iora has a nose for food unlike anything I've ever seen, and in spite of eating enough for two people her size, she still manages to scour enough to practically literally drop piles of berries and fruit onto me and Cantor. My hair still smells like Pecha after this morning.  


* * *

  
Day 9  
  
We finally got to Striaton. It was a bit surreal, walking into a town that hasn't been inhabited for, what, two hundred years? Everything that isn't stone is just gone, and even that is weathered and falling apart.  
  
We spent some time looking around for anything useful in the ruins, but everything of value was looted long before we arrived. We ran into a lot of Pokemon, I did find something of use at what I think was once a smithy: some charcoal. It's in chunks and really hard to hold, but that should let me keep writing for a while.  
  
Speaking of which, I really need to finish this  up. The urge to set up a cocoon has gotten so strong that I can barely write. I told Cantor and Iora about it, and thankfully they took it well. We've set up camp in some other ruins the map labels as "The Dreamyard", though when I read that off the map, I learned something surprising.  
  
Neither Iora nor Cantor can read. When I suggested we head to the Dreamyard to make camp, they both turned their heads, no idea what I was talking about until I pointed at the map and read it aloud. I mean, it makes sense that they don't know how to read - they probably never had access to any books growing up. But... it still feels weird. Maybe it's because Mom taught me when I was so young. I guess I just assumed everyone else got taught the same way.  
  
This is it, then. In a few days, I'll be able to fly. I don't know if my wings will be a Beautifly's or a Dustox's, but I don't really care. All that matters is that finally I'll be able to fight for myself.  
  
Though... I still don't know how I'm going to tell them I'm leaving. Maybe it'd be best if I just... don't.  
  
Maybe I could stay with them for a little while longer... they're my friends. I've been happier these past few days than I have in months.  
  
Nothing feels like the right choice. I don't know what to do anymore...


	3. Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps the Wellspring never held such power before, only awakening once the Calamity began. It twisted our companion's souls into monsters, and even as they tore apart everything we had built together, the corruption took hold of humanity as well.

Day 12  
  
...Where do I even start?  
  
Iora is missing. I wasn't out of my cocoon for a minute before Cantor grabbed me and started shouting at me about it. Hadn't even gotten my clothes back on yet.   
  
Cantor says Iora left to get food yesterday but hasn't come back, and he's about lost his mind, in case his complete lack of manners didn't make that clear.  
  
He and Freyr are getting ready to go look- right, yes, Freyr. I'll explain later, I have to-  
  
  
  
We looked for a few hours, but the sun's gone down, and it's gotten too dark to keep searching. I got cut off before I could finish earlier, Cantor and Freyr made me stop writing.   
  
As worrying as it is that we couldn't find Iora, it did give me some time to level my head a bit. Before, I couldn't even process my most basic thoughts with how much has happened, but I've got it sorted out now. May as well start at the beginning.  
  
Being in the cocoon was... strange. For a while, it just felt safe, and calm, but after a while I lost all feeling, and didn't think or feel anything for... I don't even know how long. It was like I was wasn't even there.  
  
And then I felt something new. Another sense I'd never experienced before, but all I got from it was this building feeling of unease. I could just tell that someone near me was scared. I haven't felt anything like it since.  
  
Eventually, I snapped awake, and worked my way out of the cocoon. Like I said earlier, Cantor grabbed me and started shouting about Iora. I gave him a good shout of my own for that, and I think a headache too. I may have hit him with my new powers by accident. That... that's fine. He'll get over it.  
  
  
Once Cantor ran off, I finally got to see what I evolved into: a Dustox. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to change quite as much as I did. I grew at least half a foot and look years older than before. It's a good thing Mom made my clothes so big, or I probably wouldn't have been able to get them on. She even put openings for wings in the shirt she made for me two years ago, which is pretty important, because... I have wings. Giant, beautiful green wings. I can't use them yet - they're still weak coming out of the cocoon - but soon I'll be able to fly. Actually, truly fly.  
  
After I figured out how to get the shirt on around the wings, I came face to face with Freyr. He's a Kirlia Kindred that showed up while I was in my cocoon, though he says he's practically matured enough to be a Kirlia at this point. Which... I guess it makes sense. I haven't thought much about evolution for any other Kindred before. All I really knew was that Wurmples and Caterpies and the like all evolve suddenly - the only transition period we have is the cocoon.  But Cantor and Freyr say that's not how their evolutions work, it happens over a couple months for them. Apparently, quick evolutions are rare? I don't get it. Why doesn't it all work the same way? Was it like this with Old World Pokémon?   
  
Gods, everything I learn just leads to more questions, doesn't it?  
  
Whatever, back to Freyr. He says he "felt Cantor's distress and came to help", but he's held off on going out to look for Iora until I finished evolving, and has kept Cantor from heading off on his own. "We can't take chances. Going off alone is incredibly dangerous," he says.   
  
Freyr seems like the complete opposite of Iora. He's so careful and composed. Tense even.  
  
That's where everything stands. Come morning, we'll search for Iora again, and I hope to the gods that we can find her  


* * *

  
Day 13  
  
We found her.  
  
We hadn't been searching Striaton for more than a couple hours before I heard a man shouting.  
  
He was angry. Even though I couldn't make out what he was saying, the rage in his voice was terrifying. But still, we followed it to a huge ruined building, and... the first words I could make out still give me chills.  
  
"Tell me one reason I shouldn't break your legs and leave you for dead."  
  
I found a place to peek into the building, and saw a huge man, a Pignite, holding a Purloin Kindred against the wall by his neck. The Purloin mumbled something, but the Pignite just drove his knee into the Purloin's stomach hard enough that he coughed up blood.  
  
"So you slit her throat over a bag of fruit."  
  
I heard Cantor's breathing come to a sickening halt, like he was about to puke. He jumped into the ruin and started stuttering in a voice halfway between a scream and a desperate prayer. As he entered, a girl I hadn't noticed behind the two men called out his name. She was a Dewott Kindred, and it looked like she'd been crying.  
  
They knew him. I haven't asked Cantor how, but I caught their names: Bianca and Cheren. There was a quiet moment, before Cheren dropped the man and told Bianca to keep him down. He beckoned for us to follow, and led us to Iora.  
  
She had been dead a full day before we arrived.  
  
Cantor fell apart. Cheren gave what apologies he could, and left.  
  
We buried her in the dreamyard. Cantor is still standing over her, crying.  
  
  
  
I have to get out of here. I... I knew it was going to be dangerous, I never should have left, I'm just going to get myself killed if I stay, we haven't even figured out what the emblems are and we've already lost someone.   
  
I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to dieIdon'twantfodieIdon-   
_the rest is illegible_  


* * *

  
Day 14  
  
No.  
  
**No.**  
  
I don't care what I said yesterday, I am not going to leave.   
  
I don't know if we could ever succeed in this mad quest of ours, but at least it means something, and that's more than I can say about my entire life.   
  
  
  
  
It's been a few hours since I wrote that. I'd just finished talking with Cantor, and something he said got to me. A lot of things he said got to me.   
  
I woke up crying this morning. Yesterday I was so shocked and afraid that I barely registered that Iora was gone, but it all came crashing down on me seconds after I woke. I'll never see her goofy smile with the missing teeth again, or hear her teasing Cantor or smacking him with maps, or even have her dump food on my head. She won't be around to laugh or sing...  
  
She's gone. I only knew her for a few days, but she was a friend. A precious friend.  
  
I asked Cantor to tell me about Iora. They met a few years back, when Iora fell into Cantor's house looking for shelter from the rain, and ever since, they'd stuck together. Cantor barely left his family's home, and she was the only friend he had, seeing as Cheren and Bianca had left the area a couple years earlier.  
  
A couple months ago, A traveller wandered into their patch of forest, and started telling them stories about the old world. She told them about the league, the Victor's Summit, the Wellspring at its peak, and a legend that it could reverse the Calamity.  
  
Whoever this Juniper woman was, she planted a seed in Cantor, and a fire in Iora. They wanted to make that legend real, and while Cantor was afraid, Iora urged them to go. She got a map from Juniper, she made the plan to slip away from Cantor's family at night, and she was even the one who swiped the sword Cantor wears from his parents.  
  
We sat at her grave for hours, fading in and out of silence, until Cantor stood up and said this.  
  
"I wanted it. I still do, more than anything, but she turned that want to action in ways I could never have done alone."  
  
"She's the one who started this, where I couldn't. Now... I'm going to finish it. For her."  
  
That was when I started this entry. I felt passionate. No... driven. Whatever it is that makes Cantor keep going, a bit of that has taken root in me, and... it hurts. Because I wanted to abandon him.  
  
  
  
My wings are finally strong enough to fly. I only managed to keep myself in the air for a few minutes before nearly crashing (thanks to Freyr for breaking that fall), and it was amazing. This sense of freedom and possibility rushed through me as a flew, and as I looked up at the moon, I realized that I'm not staying with Cantor and Freyr because it's reasonable. It's not the smart or safe thing to do.  
  
But it feels right.  
  
I want to feel right.


	4. The First Emblem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps we might have lasted had the nightmare ended there. But no, that twisted black dragon fell from the Victor's summit in the wake of The Calamity, riding on a storm of thunder and wrath, bearing that knave of a lord who dared oppose the truth of our world.

Day 15  
  
It's been a long day...  
  
After yesterday, Cantor's dove into training like a starved man into a feast. He even started trying to show us a bit of how to swing a sword. Honestly? The whole thing was lost on me. Freyr couldn't get enough of it, though. He's still with Cantor practicing "stances".   
  
I kind of wish Freyr had kept teaching me about how to use my new psychic power. All I can really do is give people headaches, but he started teaching me about how to move things. With my mind. Gods, that is going to be amazing once I figure it out. Though, for now, I'm stuck staring at this piece of charcoal like I'm going to set it on fire by giving it a dirty enough look.  
  
Actually, is that possible? I'll have to ask him tomorrow. I mean, setting things on fire doesn't seem much like what a Kirlia would know how to do, but come on, how cool would that be?  


* * *

  
Day 16  
  
More training, and more progress. I finally got to spend more time working with Freyr on my psychic power. I managed to move a small rock with it, though it was a far cry from what Freyr can do. Granted, he's inherently psychic and has had his whole life to practice doing this.  
  
The biggest thing he kept emphasizing was control. Because I'm not psychic type, I'm never going to have enough raw power to match a true psychic, so that makes fine control very important.   
  
I also asked him about that feeling I had in my cocoon, when I felt that someone nearby was afraid. He was pretty surprised, muttering something about "psycho-empathy" not being normal outside of his own kind when I told him. It's the ability to psychically read emotions, and he said I probably haven't felt it since evolving because nothing's been that quiet since then, which makes sense, really. Too much noise and a quiet sense gets drowned out. I really want to learn more about that, but for now, I'm sticking with practicing my tellekineesus (I have no idea how to spell that). My current challenge from Freyr is to hold something still in the air, which is a lot harder than I thought it would be. This rock keeps moving slightly no matter what I try...  
  
Aside from training, we spent a few hours looking through the ruins for the Emblem, but it wasn't until I went out flying just a few minutes ago that we found a likely place. I spotted a huge, still fairly intact building at the North-East side of the ruins. It seems... important. We'll check it out tomorrow morning.  
  
Also I asked Freyr about psychic fire. He said no. Just, no.  


* * *

  
Day 17  
  
  
  
I'm not sure that written screaming works as well to vent as regular screaming.  
  
Today has proven that I've not spent enough time fighting to have it be anything but terrifying. We found the emblem, but it was surrounded by a horde of powerful Pokemon, like they were guarding it. And one other thing. The emblem... it's in me.  
  
Just thinking about all this is making my throat feel tight. We've been back at the dreamyard since noon, and while I've been trying to relax, nothing seems to help.  
  
I told Freyr and Cantor about the ruin I saw last night when I woke up, and we left to check it out soon after. Right away we started running into Pokemon, much stronger than anything we've run into before. Before we got into the building, we'd already fought past several Lillipups, a group of Slowpoke, a Growlithe that I'm pretty sure was actually rabid, and a couple Petilil that I actually managed to take out on my own.  
  
The ruin must have been some kind of eating hall, with all the crumbling stone tables there were. Picturing hundreds of people in that room--feasting and talking--it overwhelmed me for a moment. There was enough space to seat a hundred people without even filling half the room.   
  
There wasn't much time to think, though. This huge red lizard, a Charmander, crawled from under a table and spewed a load of hot coals at us. It was quickly followed by a bunch of other rare fire Pokemon. Torchic, Cyndaquil, Tepig... I lost track of what all there was in the chaos.  
  
Freyr immediately dove in. He's the only one of us who isn't highly flammable. It made sense, but I felt terrible just standing there while he fought all of those monsters. But still, he fought, and before long, there was only one monster left: a Pansear. The thing was only four feet tall, but it came at Freyr screaming, and knocked him back against a table. He didn't get up, and... I jumped in. I wasn't thinking. I knew that I might not even be able to take a single hit if it came at me with fire, but I jumped between them and threw my arms out in front of me.  
  
Its teeth tore into my arm, but I was in such a rush that I could barely feel it. I attacked it's mind, it stumbled back, and a purple lance of energy shot from behind me. It hit the Pansear's neck, making a disgusting crunch. Turns out Freyr was just a bit dazed.  
  
That finished it. The building went quiet, and we finally got a good look at what was at the far end of it.  
  
There was an huge altar, covered in old carvings that centered around a blank circle of once polished stone. The air around it felt... ancient. Older than any of the other ruins. More than that, I felt small. Smaller than usual, anyway. It was like I was totally dwarfed by something that I couldn't see. Maybe it was because I knew this was once sacred ground. Maybe it still is.  
  
Behind the altar, on the wall, was a carving of a symbol that felt familiar, the sort of thing that just feels important, even though you've never seen it before.  ~~It was like... a circle, with an X through it, but-~~  
  
  
  
The words carved into the altar had faded, but I could still make them out. Being the only one of us who can, I started reading it aloud.  
  
"The First One Arceus woke, and with it, the first eternity began. It created disparity and balance among the heavens, shaping the grey nothing into a tapestry of shadow and light.  
  
By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Disparity as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory."  
  
Once I finished reading, the circle in the center of the altar started glowing white. Once again, I acted without thinking and put my hand on the circle. A big rush of energy flew into me, and a glowing white symbol, just like the one on the wall, appeared on the back of my hand.  
  
That's the Emblem we've been looking for, the first of eight. And  ** _I_**  have it. Cantor and Freyr both tried doing the same thing, but nothing happened.  
  
I... can't even describe how terrifying it is to look back on all this. I don't know what was up with that place. Everything about it was weird, and I can't get it out of my head. And the altar... as much as it might have felt like the right thing to do back there, I don't know if I was in control of anything I was doing.   
  
Now... I'm not just part of our quest, I'm the center of it. I know I committed to this, but this feels so final. So binding.  
  
This was supposed to be Cantor's moment. He's the one leading us through this, he should have the emblem, not me! He's been staring at Iora's grave ever since we got back, I can only assume that he's angry at how I stole his prize.  
  
Why am I thinking that? He's not angry! Nothing about him says "angry"! If anything, he's happy that we've finally succeeded... maybe he's just not saying anything...  
  
I don't know, I'll think about it later. I need to sleep. I really need to sleep.


	5. Team Plasma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Lord who claimed we enslaved our companions, who sought to liberate those who never sought freedom from brotherhood, who waged war with the very Pokemon he claimed to fight for, who claimed the lives of thousands in some mad crusade, all for an ideal utterly blind to the truth.

Day 18  
  
I don't think I've given it much thought, but I've not been sleeping as much as I used to. I think it's because I've been spending a lot of time after Freyr and Cantor go to sleep writing in here, or practicing my telekineesess (I'm never going to know how that's spelled, am I?). Just haven't thought about what I would've been doing otherwise.  
  
Actually, it's all probably because of my evolution. Dustox come out at night, if I remember that old Pokemon encyclopedia back home. Probably read through the entire thing a hundred times when I was younger.  
  
Today was restful. I think that was needed all around. Freyr and I have wounds to tend to, and we all need to let ourselves unwind. I spent the better part of the day looking for some stuff to make a loom out of. The thought came to me after seeing the remains of my cocoon just lying there. That's a huge amount of silk, enough to make several changes of clothes if I can just make it into fabric. I got a couple of straight sticks and set up something like what Mom had back home. It's not as big, and I still haven't really figured out how to transport it, but gods above, how amazing would it be to have more than the one robe? Oooooooh, I need that, I need it so much.  
  
Anyway, I think we may leave tomorrow. I'll have to figure out how to carry the loom, but I'm kind of excited. As scary as all this is, there's an undeniable rush of joy that comes with having accomplished something so great.  
  
  
  
Gods above, something's happened, something... kind of terrifying.  
  
A few minutes ago, two people showed up in the dreamyard. They were wearing hoods and some kind of stiff, padded coat that didn't let me see what kind of Kindred they were, though. They started talking...  
  
"I'm leaving."  
  
"What? Have you lost your mind? Ghetsis will have you killed!"  
  
"Let him try to find me! I'm done following that madman's orders."  
  
"How dare you speak about him like that! He fed us, clothed us, when we-"  
  
**"He cut off our tails and ears because we weren't 'pure' enough for his house of maniacs!"**  
  
I almost gave myself away there. Barely managed to avoid gasping out loud. What kind of sick mind would do that?  
  
I lost track of what they were saying there, I was a bit shocked.. Right up until the angry one said something that made me snap back to their conversation.  
  
"You know what he does with the kids, right? He does what he did to us--makes them 'pure'--takes away everything that makes them Kindred. Only then he tells them that everyone else is human, and he's doing them a kindness by letting them live with their betters! He's a sick bastard, Olwen, it's time we run off before we do something we regret!"  
  
They went quiet. Olwen... he left. Ran out of the dreamyard without another word, leaving the other boy alone in the middle of the night. He stood there for a bit, then finally sat down and started staring at the moon. He was there for most of an hour before I finally decided to talk to him.  
  
His name is Evan, and he was pretty closed up about the whole thing, not that I could ever blame him. His brother, Olwen, ran off to join "Team Plasma", who promised to bring back the glory of humanity. But... I mean, we aren't human. We're Kindred. Maybe that was something bad once, and maybe we've lost a lot from what humans once were, but I don't see why it would be any use pretending to be something that we're not.  
  
He never told me what kind of Kindred he was before he left. No... what he is. I don't think what makes us Kindred is in the tails, ears, wings or whatever else. It's something deeper. Something core to what, and maybe who, we are. I'm not just a girl with a Dustox's wings. I'm a Dustox Kindred, and that's a part of me.  
  
I don't know that I'm going to able to sleep tonight. Not after that. I think I'll just try doing some weaving.   
  
I'll probably regret this later.  


* * *

  
Day 19  
  
It's later and I'm regretting it. Nothing like seeing your past self point out how stupid something is and knowing you did nothing to stop it.  
  
I did not make it through the night. Probably fell asleep a few hours before dawn, which is right around when Cantor decided to wake up and pack up camp. I wasn't great in the mornings before I turned half-nocturnal, and- ugh, what's the point in whining about this? It's my own fault, this is getting me nowhere.  
  
It's been a pretty uneventful first day on the road, aside from feeling like I'm about to collapse of exhaustion the entire time. I told Cantor and Freyr about what happened last night, and they were about as horrified as I was, especially Cantor. He's still got this really concerned look on his face. Come to think of it, he's a Snivy, doesn't a normal Snivy evolve into a straight up snake? Is he going to start slithering at some point? What happens to his legs then? That may be why it was so jarring for him. Losing his Kindred parts would take away so much from him if that's the case.  
  
You know what, I'm just going to ask him.  
  
  
Apparently, he's been slowly starting to evolve for the better part of a week now and I guess I just didn't notice his tail getting bigger. So, when Snivy Kindred evolve, their legs start to become more and more plant-like and weak, and eventually they just transition entirely into moving around on their tails. Right now, Cantor's already starting to feel his legs get weaker, and his tail stronger, so he's probably most of the way through his evolution.   
  
That is... strange. A little unsettling, to be honest. I would not be that calm if I knew I was going to lose the use of my legs.  
  
Ugh, this is giving me a headache. I have some sleep to catch up on, may as well make use of the night and get some rest before we set off again.


	6. Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The war began in words, with that lord declaring that we made slaves of our companions. However, he would not let his petty ideas fall, and what was once the musings of scholars became life and death to the people. They knew nothing of causes, only the lands and families torn asunder by war.

I still remember the monotony of my life before all this started. Waking up everyday knowing more or less exactly what was going to happen- look for food, hide from Pokemon, come home. Now it seems that every day I'm finding myself caught up in something wild.  
  
Today's wild event started at about noon, when a group of Team Plasma members charged out of the woods. As they went, I heard a little girl scream for her mother, but her cry was quickly cut off. All of us tensed up. Cantor and Freyr were about to start running after them when Cheren of all people, along with a Staravia Kindred I've never seen before, crashed through the underbush. He was so furious I could see smoke pouring out of his nostrils. He looked at Cantor and shouted, "They've taken the kid!"  
  
Cantor and Freyr took off immediately, leaving me a bit stunned. While I was trying to process everything that had just happened, Bianca showed up, along with a Kadabra Kindred who was gasping for air. She was stooping over with exhaustion, and had clear stains on her face from crying.  
  
I asked them what was going on, and Bianca explained that the Team Plasma members had kidnapped the Kadabra's daughter. She called to someone in the woods, and a meowth kindred came out from the bushes. Bianca told her to stay with the woman while we went to help Cheren.  
  
We followed after everyone, and quickly arrived at a cave. Just inside, everyone was already fighting the Team Plasma members. There were eight of them in all, one of whom was standing in the back with the child. They fought with crude metal clubs, not using any special abilities that a Kindred would normally have, which made it easy for Cheren and everyone else to match their strength, at least until Bianca and I showed up. She rushed in, holding a knife and shield made of sea shells, with her shield raised to defend.  
  
I mostly hung back, using my psychic power to hit them where I could, until one of them managed to break away from Cantor and come after me. My psychic attacks did nothing to him, which must have meant he was a dark type under that hood, which gave him plenty of time to close and get a good hit across my head. I stumbled back and fell over, and he brought up his club to crush me, and then... Everything slowed down, and the Emblem on my hand suddenly started glowing. I felt this rush of energy coming from nowhere, and felt my power grow massively. I froze the club in mid swing with ease, and quickly used it to hit him square in the jaw. He lost his grip and nearly fell over, but as soon as I'd hit him, my wings had started shaking. They produced a high pitched drone that made the man clutch his head in pain, before passing out completely.  
  
I uh... I'm going to have to figure out how I did that.  
  
Right, well, at that point, we'd practically won. The only Team Plasma guy left was the one holding the child... and he was holding a knife to her throat. "D-don't come any closer!" He yelled, "or... Or I- I'll.. I'll kill her!" His arms and legs were shaking, and his stuttering made it clear that he was terrified of us.  
  
Cheren took a step forward. "You've got nowhere to run. Just give up." He spoke with this intensity that struck the same fear in me  as when I first heard his voice back in Striaton. He slowly took another step. Bianca yelled for him to stop, and he froze. Without breaking his glare on the man, he said, "Not that you've got the guts to do it."  
  
The cave went quiet. Everyone almost held their breath, waiting for something to change, when a Swoobat Kindred started slowly lowering herself from the ceiling, moving in complete silence. When she was only a couple feet above the grunt, she lowered one hand and pointed it at the knife against the girl's throat. Her eyes glowed, and blade leapt out of the grunt's hand, flying away from the girl's neck. The Swoobat then dropped down, twirled to land on her feet, and yanked the girl away from the grunt. As soon as she was free, she put her hands together, and her eyes began to glow. The air around her warped, and she disappeared in a flash of white light.  
  
Cheren immediately took the opportunity to close the ten feet between him and the grunt, and punched him in the face with a flaming fist. He fell to the ground, unconscious and burned. There was a brief pause before the Swoobat asked us what was going on.   
  
After a few explanations, we were left with the question of what to do with all the Team Plasma people. Cheren was the first to make a suggestion, though that's really too light a word for it. "Right. Let's finish them off, then." He said. I objected. I mean, how can we just kill them? They're still Kindred... there are so few of us left, we can't just run around offing each other, even if they are kidnappers.  
  
"Valna, we can either kill them or just let them go. I'm not going to let these bastards walk away from their crimes."  
  
Bianca stepped forward and joined me. "I don't want to see you kill anyone..." She said. She sounded so... defeated. Almost hopeless. "...Not again."  
  
Cheren's hardened face went slack, and his gaze fell. "...Alright. I'll... I'll let them go." He looked at Bianca, "for your sake."  
  
We just walked out of the cave, leaving them strewn about the place. I'm a little shaken by what Cheren said... I hate the idea of killing other Kindred, but letting them go is leaving this lump in my throat that I can't shake off. We did take some of their supplies, which had surprisingly high quality food, with dried meat and some really hard crackers Cantor tells me is hardtack. Even still, all of this hardly makes up for how they were kidnapping a child.   
  
Maybe Cheren was right?  
  
Even if he is, would I be able to do it?  
  
Once we were outside, we finally got around to introducing ourselves to the Swoobat girl who'd shown up out of nowhere. Her name is Annabelle, and she was investigating all the noise when she saw what was going on, and decided to help out.   
  
Along the way back I explained our whole quest to our new friend Annabelle. She seemed really doubtful that it could work, but she still asked to tag along. She explained that she'd heard about a settlement of Kindred somewhere on the Mainland, and she really wants to go. Of course, the journey there is really dangerous, especially if you're taking it alone, so she wants to stick with us until we reach it. Apparently, the path to the settlement is under the old city of Nimbasa. Maybe through a tunnel of some kind?  
  
When we finally got back to the Kadabra, she was already locked in a hug with her daughter. She thanked us over and over, though I made sure to point out Anna as the one who really saved her. She gave us some more food, probably all that she could really spare, and we said our goodbyes.  
  
It was really nice to able to help someone. Back home, I'd so often think that there couldn't be many more Kindred out there, but now that I'm out of that little nest of mine, I'm finding so many new people. It's amazing, really. Although... I'm getting more and more worried about Team Plasma. They're tearing people apart when we need to band together the most, and trying to take away what makes us what we are. I hope they're only a small group, I don't want to imagine what could happen if they were a really powerful force in the world. It's all I can hope for that when we find the Wellspring, they won't have any reason to exist anymore.  
  
Well, on a brighter note, I've been trying to figure out what happened with the Emblem earlier. I've tried to make it do it over and over since then, but nothing's happened. Maybe it was just that I was in danger? I... I don't know.   
  
Well, Judging by the moon, it's got to be almost midnight by now. I'd best head to sleep before I make the same mistake I did a couple days ago and stay up far too late.


	7. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First to clash were the vanguards, our kingdoms' elite, but the conflict would not end so swiftly. Soon, common folk and their companions were sent to the front in droves, doomed to fall in a war that should never have begun.

Day 21  
  
It's been a fairly calm day. I think having so many of us in a group has helped prevent Pokemon from attacking us. We actually went all day without seeing more than a couple of them, all of which ran off immediately.  
  
We separated from Cheren and Bianca around midday, when we found a sizable group of fruit trees. We took what we could and kept going, but they're going to stay there for another day.  
  
It's been nice to walk in quiet, but I've not been able to get my mind off of my Mom. I haven't been thinking about her much, especially lately. I miss her a lot, but I didn't think it would help much if I spend my time thinking about what I've lost. Although, after all this, I'm thinking it might be better to try to remember her. Memories are important, and powerful, and seeing Cantor take strength from the memory of Iora has made me realize how much memories can affect us for the better. Maybe remembering Mom can help me be stronger now.   
  
Part of what's gotten me thinking about her has got to be all the weaving I've been doing. I remember when we would spend entire days at home making fabric. At first, when I was really young, she would be weaving and I  would be doing my utmost to get her to play with me instead, but eventually she made me a loom and taught me to use it. I stopped trying to pull her away, and started joining her. We'd go for hours, passing the time by coming up with words to go along with whatever songs came to mind while we worked.  
  
I wish she'd just stayed home instead of trying to get me another book to celebrate the new year...  
  
I'm glad that she got me the books she did, though. Getting out in the world has given me a new perspective on just how special my ability to read is. It's part of what makes me valuable to this team, and I'm grateful for that.  
  
I wonder if I'd even be thinking about this without this journal. I do so much reflecting in here, thinking about and recording things that I'd otherwise have forgotten about. I never knew how valuable that is before...  
  
...it's memories. Powerful, important memories that will be with me forever.   
  
Well... that's enough drifting through memories for one evening. The only really interesting thing that happened today was Annabelle giving me a flying lesson. She made the offer to teach me after seeing me fly for just a moment to reach some fruit. "Who taught you to fly?" She asked. I'm pretty sure she was joking around, but when I told her nobody had taught me, she said she was going to fix that.  
  
We've only had one lesson, and she's already taught me so much, and it's made a lot of difference. I can already fly much faster and farther than before, and that's just with some changes to how I'm flapping my wings.  
  
I've never met another Kindred that can fly, aside from... Mom. She'd have taught me how...  
  
I really can't ever forget about her.  
  
I think that's a good thing.  


* * *

  
Day 22  
  
  
We finally reached the next town! Well, the ruins of it, at any rate. According to the map, it's called Nacrene City, and It's so weird seeing how different the buildings are here compared to Striaton. There, most buildings had different layouts that made them stand apart, but in Nacrene, almost everything looks like the same square building, over and over. There were a few exceptions, to be sure, but the only building that really stood out was the library.   
  
Sorry, let me repeat that.  
  
Yes,  _the Library_. You know, where there are books  _by the hundreds_. We were only in there for a moment, but it was magnificent... that means it's huge and beautiful, and I know that because I found a book about words - a dictionary. Inside I've found so many amazing words that look and sound and feel so... majestic, incredible, and grandiose! All of those words mean good or amazing, but for each of them there's so much more wrapped up in it's meaning, and even in the way they sound.   
  
And that's just what I found in the first room of the place! This has to be where Mom got our books, and I am going to tear this building apart! Only... it's got to be where the emblem is too. It's the biggest building here, and the only one that stands out, which is about all we have to go on.  
  
I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Before we got into the library, we ran into the strangest man. He called himself "N".  
  
He was outside of the Library, and greeted us warmly. He seemed to know Cantor and was very friendly with us, but Cantor was on edge the entire time, never letting himself relax. He must have met Iora too, because he said he was sorry for our loss when he noticed she wasn't with us. It was unusual enough running into someone Cantor knew, but there was another thing that made it all really strange.  
  
I felt drawn to him in the weirdest way. It wasn't like he was really charismatic or anything like that. It was deeper, more primal, and it felt just... wrong. Out of place, like it was a feeling that wasn't supposed to be there. It made me want to follow him, to... listen to him.  
  
It wasn't just me, either. I could feel the same sense of unease coming from everyone else. So many of us feeling the same thing triggered my psychoempathy, which only made me feel more on edge.  
  
N looked at the sky and said, "the world is so cruel for you. A shame it has to be this way," before walking into the forest. As he went, I swear I saw a Pokemon walking beside him, but that couldn't be right. No... any Pokemon would have torn a Kindred apart on the spot... But then what was it? It was big and lean, with black fur and and a massive, bushy... ponytail, I guess, with a red tip. At least, I think. Maybe I imagined the entire thing.  
  
I asked Cantor about how he knew N, and he said he and Iora ran into him in another ruin. He was so on edge today because he'd felt the same draw to him before.  
  
Sundown wasn't far off when we found the library, and we didn't want to stay in the ruins after dark, so we headed out to make camp. We're in "Pinwheel Forest", according to the map. We got a fire going, and just as the sun was starting to go down, we had a visitor. This massive woman showed up out of nowhere, wearing the skins and bones of a half dozen different pokemon and carrying a huge club made of the biggest bone I've ever seen. A Marowak Kindred.  
  
Her name is Alva. Our fire caught her eye as she was looking for somewhere to sleep, and she decided to come join us. She's from the desert on the mainland, which she explained to me after a few seconds of watching me try to find the word in my dictionary.. The desert is this huge flatland covered in sand, where it's constantly hot and incredibly dry. It sounds awful. I asked her what she was doing so far away from home, and she said she escorted someone through the woods a while back, and decided to stick around so she could, and I'm quoting her here, "beat the hell out of whatever the forest has to offer".  
  
I cannot understand this woman's mindset.  _Why would you want to fight Pokemon?_    
  
So says the girl intent on raiding a library that, if the last emblem is anything to go off of, will be full of really strong monsters. At least my point isn't just to fight stuff, but I shouldn't be too judgmental. Anyway, Alva was going to head back home, but the bug Pokemon in the forest are getting restless for some reason, and she doesn't want to make the trip alone. We offered to travel with her if she'd help us find the emblem, and we had a deal.  
  
She's been telling us stories from the desert for a couple hours, but everyone is starting to wind down and head to sleep now. I'd join them, but as I'm sitting here, there's something bothering me...  
  
Why did N say the world was so cruel "for you"?  
  
Who's "you"?


	8. The Second Emblem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They did not deserve the calamity that came. Perhaps those who pursued war could be found wanting, but the nightmare that followed the dragon's descent spared no one. All fell to the monsters, or were twisted into the Beast-Kin, robbed of their humanity by forces far beyond their control.

Day 23  
  
Sometimes I start to wonder why terrible things happen to people. Not in a broad sense, but... there's a part of me that wants to assign meaning to things that clearly have none, if only because it might make me feel better about it if there's something I can pin down as the cosmic root of whatever is crushing my happiness.  
  
Cantor died today. I don't know how else to put it.  
  
We all went into the Library just after noon. Once we made it through the opening room we'd checked out yesterday, we entered a large room with a giant dragon's skeleton in the center, half fallen apart after all these years. It must have been thirty feet long in life, easily large enough to crush any of us. There were dozens of other displays that held nothing inside but broken glass. I'm sure those were broken into and looted long before we arrived.  
  
Beyond the displays, the place was piled with books, from floor to ceiling. Many of them were falling apart or too worn to make out, but more still were intact enough to read. Although I didn't get much further than finding a copy of "Dexter's Encyclopedia of Pokemon" before Cantor, Freyr and Annabelle all started pulling books off the shelves and asking me what they said. They all had this earnest curiosity that warmed my heart. Alva didn't have much interest and kept looking for something to fight, but I ended up reading a book to everyone else. I just grabbed something off the shelf and started reading, and what I found was "Prior to our Union: A History of Humanity and Pokemon", not the best thing to start off reading, but it was fascinating.. I still have the book with me, let me find the summary...  
  
"Humankind dates back to the dawn of the fourth Eternity. We were created as beings of order, of light. The fourth age was a time of domination by mankind, as our nature drove us to subjugate everything around us.  
  
It was only a matter of time before that Eternity would end, and the next would begin, and the world would turn against the upstart humans. Pokemon, monsters formed of chaos and shadow, rose to oppose the light of humanity. They possessed strength and supernatural power to match the might of intellect, and brought balance to the world by tearing humanity's works apart."  
  
If Humans are of light, and Pokemon of shadow, what does that make Kindred? Are we a gray, between "light" and "shadow"?  
  
Unfortunately, we didn't get much further than that before we were interrupted by the colossal sound of Alva roaring into battle. We rushed to join her, except for Annabelle. I lost track of her in the moment, but she ran off to hide outside.  
  
We found Alva fighting off a big group of Pokemon-- all Normal types, which seemed a little strange. At Striaton, we found water, grass and fire before actually reaching the altar, but maybe that was a fluke. Between the four of us, we picked them off fairly easily. Lickitung, Aipom, Clefairy... all of them went down without much of a fight.  
  
Things got quiet, and we started looking for an altar like what we'd seen in Striaton. I was looking behind a bookcase when I found a Pokemon that still gives me chills. It was this... blob of sickly pink flesh, sitting in the corner, but as soon as I approached, it started to change... into me. In a couple seconds, it had gone from a lump of flesh to a nearly perfect copy of me, all except for its empty, black eyes. It attacked, screaming at me in my own voice. Everyone came running, and at first they weren't sure what to do, except for Alva. She rushed in and clubbed the copy in the chest so hard I heard bones snap like twigs. She kept going, beating on the horrifying thing until it was scattered across the floor in a dozen limp scraps of flesh. Good. Riddance. If I never see another one of those things again, it won't be long enough for me to forget that.  
  
After dealing with that...  _thing_ , we kept searching for the altar. Eventually we found a narrow stairway under a bookshelf, but only because Alva gave it a huge shove out of frustration.  
  
Down the stairs, we found the shrine, and the Pokemon guarding it: A Stantler, a Watchog, and a Bouffalant. I... I don't remember much about the fight. Alva, Freyr and Cantor charged in, leaving me to... give supporting fire, I guess. What actually happened was... I found something in the corner of the room.  
  
A silk scarf, dyed pink with Leppa juice, and stained red with blood.   
  
I knew that scarf.   
  
It belonged to my mother.  
  
I didn't have the time to start crying before I heard Cantor scream for help. He was fighting the Bouffalant, and he was barely able to stay on his feet. He kept sliding around the giant monster, but I could see his legs shaking. He couldn't keep it up for long.  
  
I tried. I tried to help him. Freyr says it was too late for me to do anything, but that's not true. If I had been paying attention to my friends, to the friends right in front of me...  
  
...I might have been able to save him.  
  
But no. I was looking at a scarf, and he got gored. He must have broken a few ribs just hitting the wall, but then the Bouffalant came in to finish it. Freyr and I rushed over to help him, but we were trying to stop several thousand pounds of charging monster. It tossed us aside with ease, and crushed Cantor. Then, It turned to face me, and started to run.  
  
Freyr jumped between us. Immediately, it drove its horn through his chest, punching through him, but Freyr didn't fall-- He started to glow. The horn snapped off the Bouffalant's head, and as Freyr's blood stained it red, it started to change shape. After just a few seconds, it looked just like the horns on his head, which had fused into one blue crest rising out of the back of his head.  
  
Freyr told me that a Kirlia can only evolve into Gallade if he is wholly willing to sacrifice his life for someone else. Had he hesitated, or questioned what he was doing, the evolution would likely have failed, and I would have lost him too.  
  
I don't know why he did that. Selfless though he may be, we've only known each other for a couple weeks at best, hardly the sort of friendship that would prompt a heroic sacrifice.  
  
Freyr picked up Cantor's sword and leapt back into battle, moving faster than I've ever seen him. One monstrous kick across the face exposed the Bouffalant's neck, leaving it open to a finishing blow- a massive slash across the throat.  
  
I rushed to Cantor's side, just hoping there was something I could do, but he was too far gone. All I could do was listen.  
  
"I've always wondered what happens when we die... I've never decided on anything to believe... but now... I'm going to believe that we're going to go somewhere better... because that means I might see Iora again."  
  
...He passed quietly. I can only imagine that he was in a lot of pain, but he didn't show it. Shortly after he passed, Alva walked up and said with a heavy tone, "He died fighting, as all of us will. Come, let's prepare a grave. A warrior as brave as he was deserves a proper resting place." She picked up Cantor's body, and began to walk out.  
  
I was about to leave with her, until Freyr reminded me to check the altar. It was like the the one in Striaton, the same basic shape and layout, but the carvings on it, and symbol on the wall, were different. The symbol felt familiar, but not nearly so strongly as it did the last time. This is what it looked like:  
  
  
  
I read the inscription aloud once again.  
  
"At once, never and always, the first eternity gave way to the next, and what was Arceus became the Lord of Skies, Rayquaza. He saw the tapestry, and gave it form. He created the titans, Groudon, Kyogre, and through them forged the world.  
  
By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Creation as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory."  
  
The altar started to glow, and I asked Freyr to try putting his hand down. He did, but he just cursed the stars as nothing happened. Either you have to be the one to read it, or it only works if you have the emblems that come before. Regardless, I put my hand down and received the second emblem. It appeared on my wrist, just offset from the first one, with a few subtle lines connecting them. With that done... we left to bury Cantor.  
  
We found Annabelle hiding outside the library. She was talking with Alva, but all I heard was Anna asking in shock, "What happened to him?"  
  
After Freyr hear that, I swear that he looked angry enough to rip her half. "Cantor died in there because you ran away!" He bellowed.   
  
"I n-never agreed to fight!" Anna stuttered. She backed up and threw her arms in front of her face to protect herself.  
  
She only Freyr more angry. "You expect us to just escort you without anything in return? We needed you! You coward... I ought to... to..." his voice dropped, and he started to cry, just barely. "I'm sorry... I'm letting... emotions get the better of me." He started walking back to camp.  
  
Anna never did say she would help us with the Emblems. That's our mission, she has nothing to do with that. Can we really blame her for running off? But then... it's so easy to see how one more person might have changed what happened...  
  
One person like me. I can't believe I let myself get distracted by that scarf. Even though it was my Mother's, I let down my friends when they needed me... when Cantor needed me... I thought I was better than this. I thought I could just move past losing her, but I can't. I can't move on, I can't help my friends, I can't fight... all I'm good for is reading some stupid inscriptions!  
  
... Why am I still here?  
  
  
  
... We dug Cantor's grave on a hill outside of town, at the foot of a massive boulder with a brilliant view of the stars. Now, I'm finding myself in the same position that Cantor was in not long ago, sitting over a grave, crying until I have nothing left. Though, it must have been a lot harder for him, having known Iora for so long.   
  
I don't know what to do now... and I don't care. I'm just... empty. I've spent the entire day consumed with grief, and now I'm so drained that I can't even feel sad anymore.


	9. Among the Trees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of this Calamity, there is one question that rises above all others. Curiosity is drowned within a single word, more a cry of despair than any inquiry...

Day 24  
  
... It has been a very quiet day. Anna's been flying about, sitting in tree after tree in complete silence. I think she may feel a little guilty, but I don't know for sure-- I haven't asked her about it. Maybe I just... won't. It doesn't seem like it'd be worth provoking her, even if she does look really distressed. Besides, I think she just needs some space.  
  
Alva, on the other hand, didn't seem like she's having any issue at first . She's been practicing with her club all day, totally serious, but when I'm near her, I can feel how upset she is. She's angry. At what, I'm not sure. I don't want to ask her about it. I just don't know her very well...  
  
Freyr... I found him at Cantor's grave earlier. He's been avoiding everybody all day. As a natural empath, constantly sensing the emotions of all of us must have been a big weight on him. He's been trying to avoid us to clear his head of our emotions. When I found him, he looked... Broken. Completely defeated. He was always so stoic and calm, but now...   
  
We ended up talking for a while. Most of it was things neither of us really needed to talk about, but it was easier than bringing up the future. Eventually, I asked him why he did it... Why he saved my life yesterday.  
  
Turns out the only reason he threw himself in front of the Bouffalant is because of how important I am to his mission. It never really had anything to do with me, just that... that I can read.   
  
Once the subject of the Emblems came up, he kept going. "I've always wanted to help people, but it never seemed like I could do that on any level that matters. I could wander around saving people for my entire life and never make any impact on how much suffering the Kindred face every day. But the emblems could...  **I will**  change that. I have to believe that we can change our place in the world. We aren't just prey for the monsters, we're capable of so much more." He stood up and drew the sword that was once Cantor's. "That's my ray of hope. My guiding light."  
  
He asked me if I would come.  
  
...I don't have an answer for him. As I was listening to him, I kept recalling when I talked to Cantor after Iora died. I thought about leaving then, too, but listening to Cantor gave me the will to keep going. I was getting swept up in what Freyr was saying as well, but something hit me.  
  
This entire time, I've been leaning on the conviction of others. I've never believed in our quest the way Cantor or Freyr have. I'm just... here.  
  
Why?  
  
What am I still doing here?  


* * *

  
Day 25  
  
... I think I've finally realized why I've stuck around with Cantor and Freyr for so long. The whole time, I've just wanted to be with people. Now that I've known what it's like to be with friends, the thought of being alone is terrifying  
  
I have a plan. I'm... I'm not going to stay with Freyr. I just can't do this anymore. No matter how much I want to help the Kindred, I can't keep this up. I'll teach him to read so he can activate the altars, but I'm going to leave with Annabelle once we reach the settlement.  
  
...I'm going to be leaving him all alone... Maybe Alva will go with him, but I don't know that. Nothing here feels right. I don't even know if he'll be able to receive the Emblems anyway!  
  
  
I can't think about that. It's only going to make things harder.   
  
...To that end, I spent much of my day back at the Library today. I told myself it was because I wanted to learn more about the Kindred, but I was just trying to avoid Freyr. Alva came with me for safety's sake, but we didn't run into any problems.  
  
I've been thinking about what Kindred are. That question has been looming over me like a vulture ever since reading that book a few days ago. It clearly explained what Humans and Pokemon are, but there wasn't any mention of Kindred. The closest thing I could find in there was this passage--  
  
"The rising chaos had adverse effects on many humans during this time, warping their bodies in similar fashion to how the monsters first formed from common beasts"  
  
  
It's talking about the time right as Pokemon first appeared. So, that means this has happened before... Unfortunately, that's almost all that I could find. There was just one other thing that I found in a back room, on a torn piece of parchment.  
  
    -n with all the Kingdo-  
 -remains that here is simply no way to-  
The Beast-Kin are a corruption, a result of-  
   -alance in the world. Until this imbalance is resol-  
                -is no hope for humanity to be saved-  
                               ~Chief Scholar Lenora  
  
There wasn't any sign of the rest of the page. Half the room was already collapsed, I wouldn't be surprised if the rest had been destroyed a century ago.  
  
But... a corruption... Is that all that we are?  
  
There's a part of me that hates that. The idea that we're something less... the same part of me that wants to stay with Freyr.  
  
I haven't told him my plan yet. I told him I'm going to give him reading lessons, but that's all. He probably already knows I'm going to leave. He might not be able to read minds but he can surely feel the shame that I have around him.  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 1  
  
It's the new moon tonight, which marks the start of another month. It's really been nearly a month since all this started... Not that it was easy to tell how empty the moon was through all the trees, but a quick peek above the canopy confirmed it.   
  
We're somewhere in the depths of the Pinwheel forest. This place is so much more dense than the forest I grew up in. The trees are packed together, the undergrowth is knee deep in some places, and  the air is constantly ringing with the cries of Pokemon. Our guide, a Scolipede Kindred named Tristan, says we're making good progress, but it's hard to tell without knowing the land like he does. We found him not long after entering the forest, fighting back a horde of Sewaddle and Swadloon. We helped him out, and in return, he's offered to escort us across the forest.  
  
He probably offered more out of kindness than to repay us-- he likely didn't need the help. He's a giant of a man, probably in his forties at this point, which is a real sign of how strong he is to last so long in this forest. He's killed enough Scolipede to make a spear and a suit armor entirely out of their shells. Along with his already imposing stature, it would make him look outright terrifying if it weren't for his persistent smile, scarred though it may be.  
  
Anyway, Freyr and I had our first reading lesson tonight. It went... alright. I was hoping we'd be able to get through things quickly, but in spite of several hours of instruction, he's still having difficulty remembering all of the letters. I never thought this might take so long... I mean, it probably took me months for my Mom to teach me when I was a kid, but I couldn't have been older than six when we started. Freyr's not some dumb kid, this shouldn't be taking so long!  
  
My frustration boiled over in our lesson. I snapped a little, and Freyr glared at me, "Not all of us had the benefit of having books to look at our entire lives," he said. I called off the lesson a few minutes later.  
  
Hopefully he'll be able to at least make most of the right sounds by the time we reach the next Emblem. That's the most I can hope for here.  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 2  
  
This forest is only getting more terrifying the longer we stay in it. We were attacked by a massive swarm of Venipede this afternoon, along with a fully grown Scolipede. The thing towered over all of us, even Tristan. Even still, that didn't stop him and Freyr from making an absolute fool out of it. Tristan grabbed its attention and anchored his spear in the ground, while Freyr hit it with a psychic attack to slow it down. It hit the spear, which punched right through its shell, at which point Freyr rushed in and finished it off.  
  
As smoothly as that went, it was still terrifying. What scares me the most is that there are even bigger Scolipede out there, according to Tristan. He told me about this massive one he calls "The Crimson Charger", which is twice his height and scarred by hundreds of battles with rival males and, of course, all the Kindred it's killed. I guess that must have gotten him into a storytelling mood, because he went on to tell me about the most fearsome monster in the forest, a Leavanny that has gone as the uncontested apex predator of the Pinwheel forest for decades. He calls that one "The Silent Terror", for how it hunts without making the slightest sound.  
  
Thanks for that, Tristan, it'll definitely help me sleep tonight.  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 3  
  
Damn the day, nothing of it is even worth bringing up compared to what happened a few minutes ago. I happened on some people in the forest. I kept myself hidden just in case, and listened into their conversation. I knew I was right to hide as soon as one of them addressed the other as "Lord Ghetsis".  
  
The head of Team Plasma. Right here, in this very forest. He was dressed in an impossibly ornate cloak, and stood tall like a pillar of rock. He wore a mask that covered the upper half of his face, hiding his eyes almost entirely. I should have bolted right then, but I stuck around and kept listening.  
  
The one speaking with Ghetsis was much shorter, and wore a far less imposing robe. "Lord Ghetsis, what of N? Has there been any sign of him?"  
  
Ghetsis" voice was commanding. Deep, powerful, and absolute. "Somehow, the boy continues to evade me. The Shadow Triad has been searching for months now without more than a couple sightings."  
  
"What does this mean for your plans? You need him to reach the Wellspring."  
  
"It means they are delayed, nothing more." He paused to adjust his cloak, brushing off the dust and setting it in place. "We will find him, sometime or other. For the moment, we have other concerns. You said you had a report from your field team?"  
  
"Of course, sir. They say they were attacked by a large group of Kindred. Their defeat is nothing noteworthy, though one of them offered a description that caught my eye. He said there was a girl whose eyes and hand glowed when he tried to attack her, and she suddenly lashed out with substantial force."  
  
The way Ghetsis smiled haunts me. It was slow, starting with a slight smile and building into a massive, toothy grin with huge white fangs.   
Old world magic..." he said, "Someone else is after the emblems.  _Excellent_. Order your agents to search for this girl and bring her to me. She may prove useful should N fail us."  
  
They were talking about me.  
  
They... they want to capture me. Oh, this awful... I don't want to think about what would've happened if he found me. Especially not after what he did next.  
  
The other man nodded, and  Ghetsis dismissed him. "Now, Zinzolin, you had best return to the compound."  
  
"Of course. Will you be joining me?"  
  
"Even the greatest of us need a moment alone. I'll be with you shortly." Zinzolin left without another word, leaving Ghetsis in the clearing. He took off his mask, but it was still hard to see his eyes- they were almost completely black, with just the barest hint of red. Suddenly, he hunched over, and started to growl. His mask fell out of his hand as his right arm went completely limp. A black tendril began to form out of his back, quickly growing a vicious maw surrounded by a red mane of writhing energy. It was a dragon's head, with the same black eyes as Ghetsis himself. Three more black ribbons appeared running down the right side of his back. They looked like wings, but they were far too small to hold his weight.   
  
He roared twofold, and beams of purple light shot out of both his mouth and the dragon's, hitting a large tree across the clearing. The air hissed and screeched like it was being ripped in half, and then a tiny bead of black energy launched down each beam, meeting the tree with thunderous explosion.  
  
Splinters of wood flew in every direction. With its trunk almost completely gone, the tree slowly fell, landing with a massive crash on the forest floor. Silence drifted in as everything in the area fled from the source of the blast. All except for me. The fear that he might find me overpowered everything else, driving me to starve myself of air in the hopes that holding my breath might help keep me hidden.  
  
Ghetsis began to speak, chanting to himself, "Control it, harness it, master it. Control it, harness it, master it." As he repeated that, the dragon head slowly lost its form, reverting to a black tendril, and then disappearing entirely. He picked up his mask. adjusted his cloak, and walked away.  
  
I didn't move until a couple minutes later, when Tristan found me. He'd heard the blast and come to investigate, but all that was left was me, and countless shards of wood that weren't charred, but decayed. They were grey and brittle, easily crushed in the palm of my hand.  
  
It's been more than an hour since I got back to camp, and I've been looking through my Pokemon book to find out what Ghetsis is. The only thing it could be is a Hydreigon, the "three headed nightmare", as the book describes it. It's one of the most powerful Pokemon in the world, nearly legendary for how destructive it is, never the sort of thing I would have thought a Kindred could ever be. Even then, the way it manifested was unlike anything I've ever seen. Is that because of how powerful Hydreigon are?  
  
I just hope I never run into Ghetsis again. I've wrapped Mom's scarf around my hand to hide the Emblems. Maybe that'll help keep any Team Plasma agents from recognizing me.  
  
... They... They never would have known about me if we hadn't stopped Cheren...  
  
... He was right...   


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 4  
  
Another day filled with discoveries, none of them comforting.  
  
As we were walking this morning, Tristan spotted some strange tracks carving a path through the woods. He paused to investigate, muttering to himself the whole time. A moment later, he stood up and declared, "She's headed north."  
  
That Leavanny he talked about a couple days ago, the "Silent Terror", has left her territory and seems to have headed the same way we are. Just a few hours later, we found more tracks, this time from a massive Scolipede, the very same one that Tristan told me about earlier. Two of the strongest monsters in the forest have up and left their broods, and migrated north.  
  
North is where the next Emblem is supposed to be.  
  
I asked Tristan when the Pokemon started getting so riled up. He said it was about a week and a half ago, which lines up just about perfectly with when we got the first Emblem. I'd never stopped to think about why there were such strong pokemon around the altars, but they're probably drawing in the strongest monsters around. I can only guess that it's for the trial the altars mention, and ever since we activated the first altar, the rest have started gathering trials of their own.  
  
If that's the case, then we're going to find the most dangerous monsters in the entire forest waiting for us in Castelia. Monsters that have gone unmatched for decades.  
  
Though Tristan doesn't seem all that worried. If anything, he's excited. He said that half of what makes her so impossible to take down is that she's always surrounded by hundreds of her spawn, meaning any attempt to hunt it down meant fighting off a massive swarm of other pokemon before you'd ever have a shot at the beast herself.  
  
"There's never been a more perfect chance to kill the wretches. I'm coming with you." Tristan said. I'm just glad we'll have his help, he's got more combat experience than any of us by far. Alva seems to share his enthusiasm, though Freyr quickly reminded them of the danger ahead of us.   
  
"You do realize we could easily die in this fight?".  
  
Everyone went quiet for a moment. My chest tightened as that knowledge sunk in, but Tristan stood up and laughed. "We could die in any fight, kid. I'm not about to give up my chance at revenge just 'cause I might finally meet my match doing it."  
  
I talked with Anna about all this while everyone else was sleeping, and she thinks it's suicide. I guess she's planning on running away again, which I can hardly blame her for. I told her about my plan, and she reassured me that I'm making the smart choice. Doesn't really make me feel much better about it, to be honest.  
  
I don't want to fight either, but I have to be there. There's no way Freyr will be able to read the Altar without my help. He's barely got the alphabet down- more complex words are still completely beyond him.  
  
Tomorrow, we'll take a raft across the Straight, and look for the Emblem. There's a huge ruined bridge, but it's missing massive chunks all over it, and it looks like it might collapse at any moment. At the very least, there's the remains of the raft Alva used when she came across, so we should be able to get moving quickly come morning.  
  
Just one more trial, and we'll reach the settlement. Just one more.


	10. Why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Why?


	11. After the Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why... though it may be said by many in desperation, the question still remains. What transpired atop the Victor's summit set in motion the cascading disaster that brought the world ruin, but only the lords were present, and they are no longer able to tell their tale.

Content warning: Suicide (section mentioning it will be separated from the rest of the text)  
  
The following chapter was edited on 7/8/18 because DistortionLocke pointed out some glaring problems, special thanks to them  
  
2nd Moon, Day 5  
  
RUN RUN RUN  
  
GET OUT, GET OUT GETOUTGETOUTGETOUT  
  
The raft's gone, I can't swim, Annabelle is missing... I have to get out  
  
Go north, escape to the desert, get away  
  
I saw Cheren with Ghetsis, he's with Plasma,  **they're trying to find me**  
  
Have to run, have to escape, have to get away  
  
I can't feel my foot anymore, I can barely walk... I'm finished, I can't... I can't...  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 8  
  
I feel... broken. Empty.  
  
Maybe it would be better to say that I don't feel anything. There's nothing left. I've cried every tear I have, and now...  
  
I don't remember much about what happened after... after the battle. Even the fight itself feels like a half remembered nightmare...  
  
I don't know how I survived. But... when it was all over, I looked around, and everyone was already dead. 

Content Warning: Suicide

    And Alva... With Cantor's sword driven through her chest. She... was holding it.  
  
I don't... I can't... She must have been in so much pain, so much... that she chose to die.  
  
I thought about doing it. Ending myself... I don't know why, but... I held on to something. I made the choice to keep living.

 

I still activated the altar... I had to. It was what everyone else died fighting for. Except for Annabelle... I just hope she got away.   
  
The inscription is one of the only things I can remember clearly. Where everything else is blurred and warped, these words are etched onto my mind every bit as much as they were onto the altar.  
  
"The world was forged, and the era of the sky king ended. The Spirit of Eternity woke once more as Celebi, the sower of life. From the barren land she wrought forests and beasts, seeding the world with vibrant life.  
  
By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Life as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory."  
  
The "Emblem of Life" is a tree. The emblems are starting to spiral up my arm, this one being right on the underside of my arm, with the same thin lines leading to it that are between the first two.  
  
Before I left, I took Cantor's sword... Or is it Freyr's now? Does it even matter? I threw up while I was taking it out of Alva, but... I needed to take something with me. I couldn't let go of it all.  
  
Beyond that, all I can remember are the vaguest images... I think I saw Cheren, but my last entry I wrote says I saw him with Ghetsis. That doesn't make sense, Cheren hates Team Plasma, he'd never associate with them... If I ever find him again, he'd better have a good reason for being with that walking nightmare. Beyond that... I remember power. Not an image, but a feeling. Like touching the sun and feeling the whole of its energy running through me.  
  
I'm scared to think of what led to that.  
  
  
I woke up on someone's back, so weak that all I could muster was a pathetic whimper. My leg was searing with pain, which only made my weakness more infuriating. The man carrying me just handed a waterskin to me and said to drink. It tasted like sand. I didn't care.  
  
He walked for a few hours, occasionally handing me more water and some bitter, dried up roots that helped cut the pain.  
  
When I felt my strength starting to return, I told him to let me down, but he kept walking in silence. I asked again, and he said to wait until we reached the ruins.  
  
"The sun will be up in less than an hour. You'll overheat if you have to wal- stay... out in the day for long."  
  
A while later, the howling winds stopped, and the man set me down on a hard stone floor coated in a fine layer of sand. That was when... when I found out...  
  
My right foot is gone.  
  
He explained that he found me after he heard a massive blast out in the desert. "I'm sorry." He said, "if there was any other way to treat your wounds, I would have taken it, but... I know what rotting flesh smells like. All too well. The tourniquet you had on saved your live from that cut, at the cost of your foot."  
  
His name is Nico, and he's not much older than me, by the look of him. He's dressed up in furs from so many different Pokemon, just like... like Alva.  
  
...  
  
He's a Mandibuzz Kindred. It's sort of hard to tell at a glance, but the pattern on his wings is distinct enough to figure it out. I remember reading in my Pokemon book back home that only female Mandibuzz had ever been seen, but that's absurd. There have to be males somewhere.  
  
Nico is taking me to another healer. "She taught me a lot, but your injuries were worse than anyone I've ever treated." He said, "Not to mention that I've never done an amputation before. She'll know if there's any further treatment needed."  
  
I asked him why he's going so far to help me.  
  
"You were hurt. I had to help," was all he said.  
  
There's more to him than that. Nobody goes that far just to help someone.  
  
We sat in silence for a while.  
  
"You were unconscious for two full days." Nico said quietly. "I was wondering if you were going to wake up at all... What happened to you?"  
  
I stayed quiet.  
  
He let it go, and went to sleep. Which leaves me here. Alone, except for one Mandibuzz I barely know, hundreds of miles away from the place I once called home.

\-----

I can't sleep. I've got an urge tugging at my mind to go deeper into the ruin, and it's only getting stronger as the hours go by. I can't take this anymore, I'm going to figure out what's going on.  
  
_____  
  
I'm taking a moment to rest my wings, might as well write some things down while I'm sitting here. It's hard to see, but I can make the tiniest bit of light with my psychic power. It's enough for me to write and navigate with, at the very least.  
  
This place is ancient. I don't know if it's actually much older than the other ruins, but it feels like it is. There's this feeling of age in the air that I can't place. It feels like this entire ruin is nearly untouched by the years, a relic of the past preserved in sand.  
  
_____  
  
I've never seen a Golurk in person. The encyclopedia only has a faded drawing, which completely fails to capture how enormous they are. All that I've seen are their remains scattered about the lower levels, but even when they're lying in a heap of broken armor, it's clear they would have stood more than twice my own height. The encyclopedia says that Golurk were created to defend the old kingdom's castles, but I can't imagine how it would be possible to make a Pokemon.  
  
Almost all of these Golurk look like they were destroyed in the same way. Their cores have exploded, and melted at every seam. There's no soot, so it couldn't have been fire, but-  
  
_____  
  
I never should have come down here alone.  
  
While I was writing, I heard heavy footsteps from around a corner. I propped myself up and got ready to take off, and a moment later, an active Golurk walked into view. It was so much more terrifying than I would have thought. It towered over me, glowing from within with a fiery yellow light. In spite of being functional, it was still heavily damaged, leaking jets of wispy flame from a rupture in its core. I tried to stay quiet, but as I tried to hide among the wrecked Golurk shells, my stump bumped against the ground, prompting a spike of pain that made me gasp. The Golurk immediately turned and started walking toward me. I took off. I was faster than it, but I couldn't keep up speed for very long before my wings would give out.  
  
Ahead of me, I saw a little girl walk into the hall. She had a small blue flame hovering above her pale white hair that could only mean she was a Litwick Kindred. She screamed when she saw the Golurk, but quickly shook her head and shouted at me, "follow me, moth lady!" and turned back to where she came. With nowhere better to fly, I followed her into a room filled with wrecked furniture and yet more sand, but no other exits. The girl kept urging me onward, as the Golurk grinded to a halt outside the doorway, just seconds away from us.  
  
"Grab my hand and don't let go!" She yelled.  
  
Her hand was... it was like grasping something that was only half-formed. She immediately started moving through the wall, sinking into it with little resistance. Then, she pulled me through. It felt like being pulled through a foot of mud, only it crushed every part of me with enough force to drive the wind out of my lungs as I went.   
  
I arrived on the other side coughing and gasping for air, but the girl somehow looked even more exhausted than I was. Her name is Tyria, and... she can't be older than ten. I thanked her for saving me, but quickly turned to a more pressing matter- where her parents were.  
  
She said she hasn't seen them since "the bad people" took her away. I'm pretty sure she was kidnapped by Team Plasma, but got away and returned home, only to find her parents missing. She insists that mommy and daddy will come back, but... I'm going to get her out of here. She can't survive on her own.  
   
When I explained what I was doing down there, her eyes went wide, and she whispered, "The Light Stone." She got up and helped me to my feet foot, and said she knew what was drawing me in.  
  
I convinced her to let us rest for a moment while I write, but she's starting to tug on my arm and whine that I'm going too slow, so I better go.  
  
_____  
  
Tyria led me further down into the ruins. We were nearly spotted by another Golurk on the way down, but we managed to hide in another room long enough for it to leave. With that scare out of the way, Tyria showed me into the largest room I've ever seen.  
  
It was so large I could barely see the ceiling. A huge part of the room was filled with an unthinkable amount of sand and rock, but what wasn't buried was dominated by what was once a great throne. The carved stone had been blown apart by some tremendous impact, so massive that it had melted some of the rock. More impressive, and far more precious, was the white ball sitting on the empty throne. It was intricately carved with images of a white dragon, snaking around the surface, surrounded by flames. It was beautiful... but it was far more alluring to my mind than it was to my eyes.  
  
"It's the spirit of Light. Roshirem!" Tyria said as I looked at the orb. "Wait... no, it's... uh... Reshiram! Daddy said that one day, Reshiram will pick someone to take it and save the world! Daddy tells a lot of stories, but this one has to be true, he told me so-"  
  
I stopped paying attention to Tyria's rambling at some point.  I reached for the stone, and the emblems began to glow. The only other times it has done that was when I was in great danger. That time in the cave, and... In Castelia.  
  
I touched it, and the castle faded away. I was suddenly facing an immense white dragon many times my size. It had a white mane that twisted and coiled like a flame, and its tail blazed like the sun. It spoke to me in a voice more powerful and regal than anything I could have imagined..  
  
**"You, with heart of fire. You must bring me to the Wellspring, it has been far too long since unity was broken. My brother must be found and brought back to Eternity, lest this world perish before chaos."**  
  
I had no idea what it was talking about. I tried to ask it what it meant, but all I could muster was a confused "what?"  
  
**"I have little power to spare for words. Bring me to Dragonspiral Tower, to the north, There we may speak more."**  
  
As quickly as the vision had begun, it was over, and I was back over the ruined throne. The stone was gone, replaced by yet another marking weaving around my arm, opposite from the Emblems. It's a white dragon, just like the one in the vision.   
  
I turned to Tyria, who was staring with her jaw hanging open. She asked me what happened, and I told her that the dragon inside the stone chose me. Her eyes lit up like little stars, and she immediately insisted that she come with me to save the world.  
  
That settled how I was going to convince her to leave.  
  
We carefully made our way up, this time managing to avoid any of the wandering Golurks. Oddly enough, Nico doesn't seem thrown off by Tyria's sudden arrival. He told me I shouldn't have gone off on my own, but that was all he had to say about it. He welcomed Tyria openly, with a soft smile that made me feel... safe.  
  
We're going to leave in a moment, but I wanted to write this all down first, while it's fresh on my mind. There's so much to take in just from the vision... I wish I could sleep on this, give myself some quiet to process it all, but we have to leave, the sun's already been down for most of an hour, and we haven't got much time to waste.  
  
  


* * *

 

Unknown Chronicle  


The sand roars with the wind, cutting like blades into a lone Kindred limping across the desert. She can barely keep her eyes open in the storm, driving her to wander blindly forward against the wind. The sound of the wind, the cut of the sand, the sight of dust, it all blends together as Valna�s senses dull. She tries once again to extend her wings and fly, but the ripping winds threaten to send her reeling the moment her wings leave her back. She nearly falls, but stays standing, just barely, atop a leg that lost all feeling hours before.  
  
She can't let herself fall, not here. She has to move forward.  
  
And so Valna walks.  
  
On and on, through the raging sand.  
  
A loud voice cries out through the storm, but the howling winds make it impossible to discern. A man in a heavy cloak steps forward, towering over Valna. She knows it's Cheren. She saw him only the day before. Behind him, the silhouettes of several other Kindred appear from the murky depths of the storm.  
  
Valna stops, but in spite of her body begging for her to collapse, she remains standing.  
  
"Valna, What's happened? Where's Cantor?" Cheren yells.  
  
She says nothing, and clutches the bloodstained sword at her side  
  
"... That's his sword..." He starts running forward, and is met with a crushing headache as Valna raises her hand, which glows with a faint purple light.  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Valna screams.  
  
"Augh, what are you doing?"  
  
"I saw you with that man in the ruins! I saw you make that deal!" She lurches on her feet, and falls to her knees. "With Ghetsis! WITH TEAM PLASMA!"  
  
"Team Plasma? This has nothing to do with them! Ghetsis just wants to talk to you, that's all!"  
  
She says nothing.  
  
Cheren's face hardens, and he points at Valna. "I don't know what's gotten into her, but I gave my word we'd find her. Take her alive."   
  
The Kindred behind him move forward. A Kadabra comes first, walking confidently. As he steps forward, a high pitched drone comes from Valna's wings, and he doubles over, clutching his head. He quickly shakes it off, and raises a gilded silver spoon into the air. The old spoon flashes with light, and a beam of energy launches at Valna. She screams, and falls to the ground, gasping for breath. Her attacker moves to bind her with a rope. "Don't try fighting, you'll only make it harder for yourself," he says.  
  
Valna steadies her breath.  **"I just watched everyone I care about die."**  She speaks from the depths of her shattered heart.  
  
The Emblems on her arm begin to glow. The Kadabra launches another psychic blast at Valna, but it deflected by a glowing aura forming around her. She quivers and shakes with ancient magic, and rises into the air. She lifts one hand and sends out a blast of psychic energy that sends the Kadabra tumbling across the sand.   
  
**"One by one they fell, but I lived. I survived."**  
  
A Staravia Kindred runs to the fallen Kadabra from behind Cheren, while a behemoth of a Boldore Kindred charges at Valna. She meets the charging man with a massive psychic blast, but the Boldore crashes through and slams into her. The aura around her breaks, and she falls, but the emblems only glow brighter, restoring the aura with even greater intensity. Valna howls in chorus with the storm, and fires a narrow lance of energy back at the Boldore that lands with the sickening crunch of breaking bones.  
  
The power coursing through Valna rattles her mind.  **"Not because of luck, or skill, or fate."**  
  
Seeing the Boldore fall, several of the Kindred behind Cheren turn and flee into the storm. "Get back here, we haven't lost this yet!" Cheren yells, but even if his words do break through the howling sand, his companions do not heed his call. Cheren looks ahead, and sees his closest allies battered and broken, staggering away from Valna. A fiery wrath takes hold of him, and he erupts into a plume of flame to match the radiance of Valna's power. He charges, but Valna raises her glowing arm, and his feet loose purchase on the sand. White bands of light wrap tightly around him as he rises into the air, slowly approaching Valna. Cheren tries to break free of the arcane bonds, but is helpless to do anything but meet the gaze of the terror before him. Valna's eyes glow white with the magic of the old world.  
  
**"I lived... because I. Refused. To die."**  
  
She thrusts her hand forward, catapulting Cheren into the next dune. He lands with a thunderous crash, sending a plume of sand high into the air.   
  
Cheren's few remaining allies run to find their leader, and carry away his unconcious frame.   
  
The power of the Emblems fade from Valna, and she plummets back to the sand below. Her eyes close, and the desert returns to the silence of the raging storm.


	12. Desert Sand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps if we knew the lords' tales in full, we could have prevented some measure of the disaster, though no knowledge could have stopped it entirely. Events were already in motion before the world knew they had begun.

2nd Moon, Day 9  
  
It’s been a fairly uneventful night… We’re making slow progress… the winds are still blindingly strong, so I couldn’t fly, which meant limping along with Nico’s help.  
  
Although the nght wasn’t entirely without event. While we were sitting down to rest earlier, I dropped my bag and Tyria volunteered to gather it up for me. As she shoved everything back in, she found the silk cloth I’ve been making. There’s probably about ten feet of the stuff by now, a good two and a half feet across. Tyria ran up to me with the bag, and held out the end of the cloth, asking what it was. She said it was the softest fabric she’d ever felt, which doesn’t surprise me, really. She’s wearing a bunch of fabric scraps sewn into a tunic; she’s probably never felt anything softer than old, worn out linen.  
  
I told her that it’s silk, and she immediately asked where it came from. So, I told her I made it.   
  
“Yeah, but where’d you get the string?” She asked. I told her again, I made it, and her eyes went wide. She jumped at me and begged me to show her.  
  
With some effort, I was able to make a short strand of silk. Oddly enough, it’s been a lot harder to make silk since I evolved. I still can, but it’s not like when I was a Wurmple. Back then I could shoot the stuff across a room without a second thought, but now it comes out slowly no matter what I do. Regardless, when I pulled that strand out of my mouth, Tyria was about to lose her mind. She kept switching from saying “that’s so cooool!” to “Grooooss!” and back again, while running around with a big smile on her face.  
  
When she eventually calmed down a bit, she asked me if she could keep a piece of silk. She asked with this look in her eyes that made me want to see her happy more than anything. With some help from Nico, we cut a strip of cloth off with Freyr’s sword, and I gave it to the absolutely giddy Tyria. She wrapped it around her wrist and tied it there like a bracelet.  
  
She’s still wearing it now. Occasionally I’ll notice her feeling it, and I can’t help but smile. Somehow she manages to bring joy into everything she does.  
  
Having the sword out did reveal just how poorly I’ve taken care of it. I never properly cleaned it, and now it’s starting to rust… I did my best to get the caked blood and grime off, but the rust is more persistent. I’m looking at it right now, trying to imagine what it must have looked like when it was first forged centuries ago. I don’t know much about war, but supposedly entire armies would march to battle bearing steel swords and armor. I’ve never even seen a suit of armor that wasn’t falling apart. This sword is a treasure, something I can’t replace… I’ll take better care of it from now on.  
  
My stump is starting to hurt more, but Nico says he’s running low on herbs to give me. He’s not got a lot of water either, and while Tyria doesn’t seem to need to drink, we’re still going through his limited supply rather quickly. Hopefully we’ll be out of this desert soon.  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 10  
  
I can’t handle this desert anymore. It’s impossible to sleep during the day because of how hot it gets, the sand, be it on the ground or blasting into my eyes with the wind, is wearing away at every part of my body, and it feels like we’re getting nowhere.  
  
We lost a good two hours tonight hiding out a sudden sandstorm. While we were holed up in the shadow of a boulder, I took out one of my books and started leafing through it, not so much reading as I was just looking for something to keep my mind off things.  
  
Tyria leaned over and asked “can you really read?”  
  
I was a little surprised by the question. She’d seen me writing, I figured she must have already known, but I guess she wasn’t quite sure. I nodded, and she immediately asked me to teach her. I took out my notes from when I was teaching Freyr, and started going through the alphabet with her. She struggled, much like Freyr, though I found much more patience with her. We sat together, learning letters by the light of the flame floating above Tyria’s head. Even Nico joined in, though he was unusually quick on the uptake. He says someone once started teaching him to read, but never got very far. “Probably my fault,” He said.  
  
Tyria rushed up to him. “Well now Valna can teach you!” She said, beaming. I smiled at her enthusiasm, and as I looked at her, I saw… me. When I was so much younger.   
  
I recalled days spent learning with Mom, scrawling letters on the wall with charcoal over and over until I got them right. Tyria has the same pure curiosity and wonder that I once did, long before this nightmare started. She doesn’t see a broken world, just… the one she lives in. She doesn’t feel crushed by what she sees around her. She has a brighter hope than I may ever have again.  
  
Once the storm died down, we had to keep moving, but that moment has stuck with me all night. I keep finding myself wishing there was something I could do to preserve that hope Tyria has, to protect the innocence that lets her find joy in so many things.  
  
Nico says we’ll be able to see the ruins tomorrow, maybe even reach them. Hopefully we haven’t just walked in a massive circle and wound up back at the castle. With so much sand in every direction, it’s impossible to tell where we are, but I’ll try to trust Nico on this.  
  
… Though it would be just my luck to have that happen.


	13. Channeler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not long after the lords departed for the summit, the first signs of the Calamity began to show. It started with the wild beasts, turning from docile creatures into monsters that craved the blood of humanity.

2nd Moon, Day 11  
  
Nico was right about finding the ruins, but we’ve taken a bit of a detour. Near the end of the night, we reached the crest of a massive hill that rose like a wall above the desert floor, and we were finally able to see the ruins of Nimbasa. The wind died down enough to fly today, which let us travel much faster. Though I can’t seem to keep flight up for very long right now. I feel so weak… I’ve barely eaten or drank anything substantial for days now… I’m just glad Nico is strong enough to carry Tyria. She can float around a little bit, but it’s no faster than walking.  
  
By the time we’d flown down to the ruins, the sun was rising, but we kept going. I couldn’t help but pause to look at the ruins, though. There was something in the air that felt different, but it wasn’t until we were passing over the eastern part of the ruins that I had any idea why. While we were flying, the emblems glowed, just slightly, and it felt like there was something gently tugging on my arm.  
  
I asked Nico to land, and he was happy to oblige. As we descended, the glow got brighter, though it was still very faint. Another faint thing was the smell in the air. It was vaguely metallic, sort of like the smell that comes with a thunderstorm, but there were only the barest hints of clouds above.  
  
Just seconds after we landed, I heard a rattling from a nearby building. Much like the rest of the buildings in that part of the ruins, it was mostly intact, clearly better made than most other buildings. Nico peered inside the open door, and his eyes went wide. “Juniper?” He burst out, “what are you doing here?”  
  
I flew over to him and looked inside. There was a Kindred with the biggest head of white hair I’ve ever seen, and a massive, poofy tail to go with it. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she was a Cinccino. She was standing over a heap of scrap. Looked to be in her late thirties, if I had to say. She gave Nico a huge smile and walked over. “Well, I’m surprised you recognize me! You’re one of Elena’s, aren’t you? Help me out, I can’t quite remember your name.”  
  
“It’s Nico. And you still haven’t answered my question.”   
  
“I’m looking for an intact piece of resonant quartz, to repair one of the rail cars. We can’t have transport to New Anville being broken down.”  
  
We all looked at her in confusion. None of those words made sense to us.  
  
“That’s right, you left before the move!” Juniper declared. “Listen, I’ll have to explain as we look, we need to get this crystal and get out before anything finds us. You smell that weird metallic scent the air? That’s what the old alchemists called ‘ozone’, it’s a sure sign that there’s an electric Pokémon somewhere around here, and with how strong the smell is, it’s got to be a big one.”  
  
Hearing that immediately put me on edge. It sounded way too much like there might be another emblem somewhere nearby, and I want nothing to do with that. Not anymore.  
  
Juniper saw me freeze up and nodded. “Let’s get moving before it finds us, then. We’re looking for a big white crystal, it should glow a little bit.”  
  
Tyria quickly to dove into the pile of junk, literally phasing right into it. I was a little surprised to see how eager she was.. Nico shrugged and said there’s always some project Juniper’s working on. He certainly didn’t have Tyria’s enthusiasm but he started searching all the same.  
  
I was about to go help look, but Nico stopped me. “You need rest. Ideally we would’ve had you on bedrest for the last few days instead of crossing the desert.” He helped me sit down and went back to searching.  
  
Now I’m alone by the door, trying to ignore how much my leg hurts while I write. I do wish I could help, but Nico’s probably right.  
  
  
Juniper… where have I heard that name before?  
  


* * *

  
Tyria found the crystal, and we’re on our way to the settlement now. We left as soon as she found it, but before that I did have a brief conversation with Juniper. She came up to me after a while of searching and handed me some dried fruit and water. “Are you here to see Elena?” She asked quietly.  
  
Nico hadn’t told me her name, but I assumed that was the healer Nico mentioned. I nodded.  
  
“I doubt there’s anyone better.” Juniper replied with a smile. “She’ll take care of you.”  
  
As she said that, I felt a wave of compassion coming from Juniper through a sense I’d nearly forgotten I had: my psychoempathy. With all that’s been going on, I hadn’t noticed that I couldn’t feel anything from Nico or Tyria. Why is that?  
  
it's not important. Juniper helped me move across the room so I could sit closer to her, and we kept talking for a while. She was surprised to find that I could read. She can as well, which makes her the only person I’ve met besides Mom who can. She asked me about how I learned, and where I got my journal, and I answered as best I could: my mother.  
  
She kept asking me more questions- how I met Nico, where Tyria is from, if I know anything about “artifice”- but I could only indulge her curiosity for so long before my own took over. I asked her where exactly we were. This place was different from the rest of the city.  
  
She explained that it’s part of the old arcane workshops that produced magic tech back before the Calamity. Nimbasa was home to the largest workshop complex in Unova, and we were just at the edge of it. The whole place is riddled with magic artefacts, though the inner reaches are usually crawling with monsters because they have a powerful affinity for magic energy.  
  
The talk of magic launched me back to my encounter with Ghetsis: he said “old world magic” after hearing about what happened with my emblem. I was about to ask about what magic is, but we were interrupted by Tyria rushing up with a glowing crystal half as long as her arm.   
  
It was cut into a perfect, six sided column, with a deep notch on either side. As she approached me with the crystal, the Emblems started glowing brighter. Still not nearly as bright as they glowed in battle, but I think being near all that magic equipment must have triggered it. Regardless, with the crystal in hand, we left the workshops and Juniper led us to the center of Nimbasa.  
  
I realized this was the settlement Annabelle was looking for- It all fits, down to the path under the ruins.  
  
Juniper led us into a huge building, and down several flights of stairs until we reached a big box on wheels that she said was the rail car we were looking for. When we got inside, she stuck the crystal inside a compartment at the front. The car sprung to life with a dull hum, and dim lights lit up on the ceiling. Then, Juniper pushed a lever forward, and we began to move.  
  
We are now flying down a tunnel, on the way to what is almost certainly the largest community of Kindred in Unova. I can’t believe that we’re almost there… we’re so close now. I wonder if Annabelle made it… I hope I find her there.  
  
I’m just realizing that I still haven't asked Juniper about magic after we were interrupted. I have to know more about this, especially if it’s why Ghetsis is after me.  
  
______  
  
Juniper’s going to explain things as I write it down, I really want to make sure I don’t forget any of this.  
  
There are two forms of magic: Artifice, and Channeling. Artifice is the creation and use of magic tools, which can be done by anyone with the right knowledge, but Channeling is more complicated. Only some people could use it, and even then it was only ever through their companion Pokémon. A human Channeler could massively empower their Pokémon, but never affect themselves.  
  
Juniper has never known any Kindred that can Channel, but the ability usually has to be woken somehow, usually through the Emblems-  
  
Oh, gods above. The Emblems.  
  


* * *

  
I had to cut Juniper off. It’s been a few minutes since we finished talking, but things got what too heavy to keep writing.  
  
Juniper had just started talking about how the ability could be unlocked by the Emblems, but I cut her off, and showed her my arm. Her eyes went wide, and a gigantic, toothy grin took over her face. “By Eternity, you’ve done it! You’ve gotten some of the Emblems!” She sprinted across the room and grabbed a small, loosely bound notebook from her pack. “Tell me everything.” She started bombarding me with questions, well more than I can remember.  
  
I started explaining it all to her, and she wrote down just about every word I said, just like I'd done moments before with her. When I got to describing the few times I’ve really felt the Emblems’ power, she got so excited she started giggling like a child and said “That’s Channeling, it has to be! As Kindred, we’re part monster, and that means we can be both parts of the Channeling! Only… Wait... How did you find them?”  
  
I showed her my map, and she immediately recognized it. “That map has been missing for two months now,” she said, “where did you get this?”  
  
I told her about how I inherited it from Cantor, and her enthusiasm fell like a rock into a lake. “So they took the map… and followed the story. I never should have told them about the Wellspring.”  
  
Cantor. That’s how I know Juniper’s name, she was the one who told him and Iora about the Emblems in the first place. I can’t believe it took me this long to realize, I should have just looked through my old entries…  
  
Cantor said they’d been given the map, but she shook her head when I told her that. “Either he lied to you, or the girl lied to him. She probably just wanted to make him happy… bring him hope.” She walked away, sighing under her breath.   
  
… It’s hard to believe that Cantor or Iora might have lied to me about the map, but I suppose Iora never told me anything about it… maybe she did lie to him.  
  
A few minutes later, Nico sat down next to me and asked me what happened. He'd never seen Juniper that upset.  
  
I explained, and he nodded quietly. A moment later, he said that she’d probably not be held down by it for long. He’s known Juniper since he was a toddler- she was a friend of his mother’s, and would occasionally drop by during her travels. She’s a vibrant soul, so enthusiastic about her research that she seems to forget how broken the world is around her.  
  
Nico gave me the last of his medicinal roots. “You’ve shown a lot of strength these last few days. We’ll be able to rest properly soon, it’s just a little while longer,” he said. I couldn’t help but smile a little bit as he left to get some sleep.  
  
I think I’m going to follow suit. It’s been a very long day… we’ve both been awake since dusk yesterday, and by now it’s got to be about noon. I’m going to get what sleep I can before we arrive.


	14. Anville

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We fought back the oncoming wilds, standing firm alongside our companions just as we had clashed with our kinsmen in the war, but we could not stave off our own corruption with blood and steel.

2nd Moon, Day 12  
  
I don’t think anything could have prepared me for what waited outside the doors of the rail car. When we stepped down, we saw… people. Kindred.  
  
There were dozens of them, more than I’ve ever seen before. There were children, adults, teens… all walking around, talking with each other, working… They were just… Living. As though there wasn’t any danger at all.  
  
As I stood there in wonder, my senses were assaulted not only by the sight and sounds of so many people, but also by their emotions. Every time I’ve sensed emotions, it was always… singular. I really only ever felt one thing… until right then. Suddenly, I was overcome by a steady drone of feeling. It was mixture of joy and disappointment, anxiety and hope, calm and frustration… Every feeling I could think of and more, all washing over me like the gentle flow of a stream. For a moment, one precious moment, I forgot the nightmares that haunt me, and became lost in a moment of experiencing something beyond myself.  
  
“Welcome to new Anville,” Juniper declared with pride.  
  
Juniper led the way to the clinic, with Nico and I following as quickly as we could. Tyria meanwhile was always somewhere in between, dashing around and saying hello to all the passerby.  
  
As we went, I was struck by the buildings around me. There were a few of them that looked like they were restored from the old city’s ruins, but so many more of them were new. Most all of them were made of either packed dirt bricks, or from woven mats of sticks covered in mud, but I saw a few made from stone and or logs. What really stood out was how bright and clean a lot of it was. Some of the buildings had a white coating that Juniper said was “quicklime”, but even beyond that, everything looked so fresh when compared to the ruins I’m used to seeing. There wasn’t any real wear on the buildings, which made it so much more… Real.  
  
Juniper started explaining to all of us the history of where we were. Nico’s mother, Elena, used to live in the Lostlorn woods east of the Nimbasa ruins. Elena regularly took in children in need of a home and raised them, and as word slowly spread of that, whole families started flocking to her, until there was a village of dozens of people growing around her. After a while, it became clear that she was running out of room in the woods to sustain growth. So, two years ago she moved to the ruins of Anville through the rail tunnels under Nimbasa.  
  
It was ultimately Juniper’s discovery that prompted the move, though. She’d found the tunnel and the rail cars, and repaired them, which made the three day trek through the tunnels take only a few hours. Beyond them lay Anville, one of the most peaceful areas she had ever seen. Ever since the move, more people had come, and the community of New Anville is now several hundred strong.  
  
Hundreds of people, all in one place, living together.   
  
We eventually came to a large structure, one of the only ones with two floors, and entered. “Elena! We’ve got someone for you to look at!” Juniper yelled. Shortly after, a shout from further inside the building told us to bring me in.  
  
Down the hall, in a large room with six beds inside, we found a woman tending to a serious cut on a Kindred’s leg. This was Elena, an Audino Kindred, probably in her early forties, though you’d never guess it by the color of her hair. It was purple… Vibrant, shining, perfect purple.  
  
Audino are pink… Right? While I know there’s variation, usually hair color is at least similar to the original Pokémon's coloration, and hers goes well beyond what seems normal.  
  
I don’t even know why I’m so hung up about this… It was just so striking.  
  
Elena had just finished washing the Kindred’s cut, but rather than applying a bandage, she whispered something and drew her hand across the gash. Her hand glowed with a soft light, and in a few seconds, the wound had closed. She cleaned it again and sent the patient off with little more than a warning not to push himself too hard or he’d reopen the cut.  
  
Juniper greeted Elena, who responded to Juniper’s enthusiasm with a terse “welcome back”, as she washed her hands. She then came to us.  
  
She looked at me for a few seconds before immediately turning and saying, “Nico, what in Eternity’s name did you do?”  
  
Nico defended himself, saying my leg was already dead when he found me, and if it weren’t for the tourniquet I put on, I probably wouldn’t be alive to start with. Elena just sighed and told him to help me over to the bed near the window. There, she began examining my stump. I won’t go into much detail, aside from how much it hurt. She gave me a little more of those medicinal roots, but not enough to drown out the pain entirely, even though it was fresh, and far more bitter. As she went, she asked Nico a series of questions about how he performed the amputation, most of which was rather lost on me. I did catch that he didn’t have a proper tool to cut the bones, and had to break them… Which explains why there are bone shards lodged in my leg, along with the jagged break itself, causing a great deal of extra pain.  
  
When she was finished with the examination, she did the same thing she did to the last patient. Her hand started to glow, and she passed it over my stump. I felt a bizarre warmth come over it, not like the heat of a fire, it was… Deeper than that. The pain disappeared entirely for just a moment, and even after the warmth faded, it hurt much less than it had before.  
  
Elena stood up, washed her hands, and said she needed to make arrangements with a hypnotist so she can surgically remove the bone shards and clean up the bone breaks. After that, it’ll be just a few days of recovery before I can be fitted with a peg leg and start relearning how to walk.  
  
On her way out, Elena asked Tyria to come with her, and I was rather surprised to see Elena’s stern face shift completely as she spoke to Tyria. Suddenly, she had a gentle smile that immediately brought back memories of my own mother. Tyria agreed to go with her to see where she’d be staying, which left me and Nico alone in the clinic.  
  
After a few moments, Nico asked if there was anything I wanted to talk about. Anything at all. I shook my head, and he let out a slight sigh.  
  
“If you ever need someone to talk to… I’ll be waiting.” He said before walking out of the room.  
  
Ever since then, it’s been a very restful evening. This bed feels fantastic, even if it is just straw stuffed into a cloth mattress. Elena’s assistant, a Chansey Kindred named Laurel, brought me the first warm meal I’ve had all week, along with a clean tunic to replace my bloodstained clothes… It’s wonderful.  
  
Though... More than anything, I feel so at rest because… I’m here.  
  
I made it.  
  
It’s over. It’s finally over.


	15. Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It started slowly. Nails to claws, tooth to fang, until the powers once held only by the monsters became ours to command... but at what cost? The few companions that had not turned on us were lost the moment their masters' humanity began to slip.

    2nd Moon, Day 13  
  
The morning started off great with a hearty breakfast of mashed Sitrus roots, which was so disgusting it nearly made me throw up, but I choked it down. Elena said it was important for the surgery.  
  
The hour after that I felt so dazed from the roots’ effects that everything blended together into a muddled mess. I do remember seeing a dark skinned man with deep black hair and red eyes. Nico told me that was a Gengar Kindred, there to put me to sleep during the operation.  
  
After some time of prep work, the Gengar Kindred got behind me and put his hands on to my head… though it was more like when I held Tyria’s hand going through that wall in the castle relic. It was as much like him reaching into me as it was laying his hands on my head.  
  
I felt my eyes close, and my mind open. It was like a dream, only I was so much more aware, which only proved to be a curse when a dark memory reached out of the back of my mind.  
  
I saw it… The Silent Terror. The Leavanny that slaughtered everyone. That wretched, horrid, awful, terrifying nightmare of a creature that destroyed everything I had.  
  
It was standing over the mutilated body of Alva, who was lying there, trying not to show fear, not to scream from the pain.  
  
The thing turned around in utter silence to face me, blank red eyes gleaming in the dim moonlight, brandishing leafy blades coated in blood…  
  
I heard Elena’s voice, calling my name, telling me to stop, to wake up. The blood soaked scene faded, and I was once again in the clinic. Elena and Nico were on either side of me, holding me down on the bed. Elena looked up at the man who put me to sleep and asked him what had just happened.  
  
“She lapsed into a memory. Something traumatic, and she began to resist the hypnosis.” He said, “I’ve seen this sort of thing happen before, hypnosis breaks down mental barriers and can bring repressed thoughts and memories into focus.”  
  
Elena looked at me for a moment, then turned her gaze back to the Gengar. “I can’t operate on someone who’s thrashing like this, what can we do?”  
  
“That will be up to her.” The man stepped to the side of the bed and faced me. “Valna, isn’t it? I understand you’ve just re-lived something terrible, but we need to do this. It may not seem like it, but you can control your mind, you just need to hone your thoughts.” He stepped over to a collection of herbs, took a slightly dried out red flower from it, and handed it to me. “Look at this. Smell it, feel it, and build a picture of it in your mind. This is your focus. When something dark starts to overtake your thoughts, think about this flower and everything that it is. Let everything else wash over you.”  
  
With that, they gave me a couple minutes to observe this flower. The rubbery texture of the stem, the delicate, drying leaves, the fading red of the petals rimmed with brown as they too began to wither, and most of all, the powerfully sweet scent that wafted off the flower. I took it all in, leaning on the hope that the man would be right, and this would keep any other memories from surfacing.  
  
When he put me asleep again, the same memory tried to break through, but focusing on that flower kept it at bay. It was like stoking a dying fire in the middle of the night… every time I lost focus that “fire” would dim and some memory of the Leavanny, of Ghetsis, or even simply of horrible pain would creep up and threaten to take over again.  
  
When I finally woke up, Elena was finishing using her healing light thing on my stump, and Nico was sitting by me, asking if I was alright. I nodded, but he wouldn’t let it go. “What happened? You were flailing all over the place, and I swear you were about to start screaming.”  
  
After a moment, I just muttered “I’ve lost people. Too many people.” And left it at that. I don’t want to relive those memories by talking about them. I don’t want to drudge those emotions up ever again.  
  
The next few hours was a long wind down off the roots I’d eaten in the morning. I saw a few other patients come through, but for the most part, I was just in a daze. Between coming off the roots’ effects and the shock of what I saw under hypnosis, I wasn’t in much condition to be doing much of anything. Toward the evening, I started to feel a bit more level headed, though.  
  
After my head started to clear up, I overheard Nico talking to himself after he brought me a meal. “I can’t believe I ever left…” He said with a sigh.  
  
I asked him what he meant, and he explained that he’d grown up under Elena’s care after she found him half starved and suffering from food poisoning near the edge of the desert. Everything he’s learned about medicine came from her. And yet… He left home about three years ago. “I thought it was so I could find my own path,” He said, “but I was just too restless… Have you ever had that feeling like you need to get away?”  
  
I said yes… I’ve got plenty of things I’ve wanted to get away from.  
  
“Of course I only realized that after years on my own. Once you’re alone, it’s easy to let yourself stagnate. You forget that you can change.”  
  
… That’s stuck with me…  
  
...  
  
I’ve decided to start making a new tunic. I’ll probably never be able to get the stains out of my old one… I’ve only gotten as far as marking some of the cuts I need to make, though. I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to cut the cloth. For now, I’m calling that good enough for the night.  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 14  
  
I can’t get it out of my head. Nothing works. No matter what I do I can’t stop coming back to that day…  
  
I had another nightmare last night. It wasn’t nearly as vivid as it was during the hypnosis, but it was enough to send me back into reality screaming. This time it was seeing them all fall… It was just the barest flashes, vague images of blood and death, but it was enough…  
  
Nico was on me almost immediately. Apparently, I was muttering in my sleep all morning, and naturally he took it as another opportunity to ask me to tell him what’s wrong. I still don’t want to think about any of it… How can I? I feel like every second I spent lingering on those memories makes the nightmares more likely.  
  
He closed his eyes and sighed. “I want to help you. I really do,” he told me, “but I can’t do anything if you won’t let me.” He walked off, scraping his talons across the dirt floor as he went.  
  
Aside from that, it was a pretty uneventful day up until evening. Elena did come in to change my bandages. I heard her saying something to herself before she started, but wasn’t quite able to make it out. I asked her if she had anything I could cut fabric with, along with a needle, and she said she’d probably be able to get some shears for me tomorrow, though she had plenty of needles to spare.  
  
Which brings me to this evening. Hours after sunset, I was checking my sketch for the shirt pattern, and a faint blue light appeared on the wall. A moment later, Tyria’s familiar face emerged from it, and gave me a huge smile. “Valna!” She whispered before fully exiting the wall.  
  
I quietly put away my sewing project and sighed. She knew she was supposed to be in bed. When I told her that, she just pointed at me and said “but you’re awake too!”  
  
I explained that I’m a Dustox Kindred and that makes me sleep later, but she said she was a ghost and left me at a loss. I suppose a ghost wouldn’t really need that much sleep. After asking about how my leg is doing, and a quick question from me about why she wasn't exhausted after coming through the wall like she was in the castle ruins- she only gets that tired when she's bringing along another person- she quickly started begging for me to tell her about my amazing travels, about all the heroic things I’ve surely done as Reshiram’s chosen heroine.  
  
Instead, I told her a story I remember my mother telling me when I was young. It was about a little girl traveling to a far off land to save her brother from a vicious dragon... What else was I supposed to do? Every story about myself that I could tell would only lead to the same place. She’s a kid, she shouldn’t have to know about that sort of nightmare.  
  
Though… Why haven’t I told Nico anything? He wants to know, and maybe he’s right, that talking about it will help.  
  
It… It’s all because I’m trying to hide from my past. That… It’s not working. I’m still having nightmares, I still can’t keep it out of my mind…  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 15  
  
Remember how Elena was muttering something before she treated me yesterday? I finally caught some of it. “Eternity guide my hand” was all I really got, but that word has shown up so much in my life that I had to ask. She explained that she followed “The Eternity Creed”, a religion passed down in her family from before The Calamity. She was surprised I didn’t know- apparently the Emblems are important symbols in this religion. She’d assumed I knew about it as well.  
  
She went on to explain that she worships the Spirit of Eternity, a being that embodies the will of the world. This spirit has had many forms, one for each “Eternity”, or era of history, of which there are eight. Though Elena believes The Calamity brought in the ninth era, which seems right. Each era begins and ends with a massive change in the world, and The Calamity sounds like just that.  
  
it didn’t take me long to make the connection between this and the Emblems. The altars have mentioned Eternity a number of times, and the third one specifically mentioned Celebi as the Spirit of Eternity.  
  
I think this Creed must have created the altars, the Emblems… all of it. My only question is how channeling fits into all this. I don’t recall Juniper saying anything about the Creed in her explanation, and I certainly didn’t write anything down about it.  
  
Oh, what am I doing still thinking about this? It’s not important anymore. I’m not on that path now. I’ve got other things to be worrying about…  
  
Once she finished wrapping the fresh bandages, she pulled a small pair of metal shears out of her apron pocket and moved to hand it to me, but she held off, and started talking. “Nico is really a selfless soul. Always doing whatever he can to help... It’s a shame that kindness so rarely comes back to him.” She handed me the shears and stood up. “We all need each other, now more than ever… A little gratitude can go a long way to bring people together.”  
  
… As blunt as she was, she’s right. Nico saved my life… What have I done in return? All I’ve done is shove him off every time he talks to me. I’m going to see what I can do to take the tunic I’ve been working on and make it for him instead… After all he’s done, he deserves that much.  
  
Maybe… Maybe I should talk to him as well...  
  
...  
  
… I’m going to tell him. Tomorrow.  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 16  
  
I walked today. I walked on my own… The only time I’ve felt this liberated was when I first took flight.  
  
Elena says my recovery has gone well, and had me fitted with a peg leg over the course of a few hours earlier today. It was a really fascinating process. She brought in a small bucket filled with a white paste she called plaster, a bunch of bandage strips, and a specially prepared, tapered shaft of wood. It was hollowed out part of the way down, and where it was hollow, it was split into ten or twelve vertical pieces. The whole upper section of it was dripping wet when she brought it in, too. She started by wrapping the bandages a good way up my leg, quite tightly, and then smeared a bunch of the plaster over that. Then, she took the shaft of wood and started bending the split sections to fit around my stump. Apparently, she’d been soaking the wood for more than a day, and that made it flexible enough to bend like that.  
  
She took great care in making sure the length of the peg was correct before applying enough of the plaster paste to cover the wooden sections entirely, then finally wrapped another tight layer of bandages around it all.  
  
It was only a couple hours before the plaster had hardened into a rigid shell. We lined the inside of it with some of my spare silk cloth, and I was able to try walking for the first time since I woke up on Nico’s back more than a week ago. It was awkward, and difficult- I fell over several times just trying to keep my balance- but I was walking. Finally, finally I could move around… I know that I could still fly, but I can’t keep that up for too long, and travelling without my foot was so hard and slow… It’s wonderful to finally be able to do this basic thing again, even if it’s not so easy as it once was.  
  
Even after several hours of practice, I’m still having trouble keeping my balance, and too much time standing ends up hurting my leg, but I’m sure that will get better in time.  
  
But right now… I finished the tunic for Nico. It took the better part of last night and most of today, but it’s done. I hope I sized it properly, but I’ll know soon enough. I’m going to go talk to him now… about everything.  
  
I can’t believe I’m doing this… I barely even know why. I’m just putting my trust in the hope that this will help.  
  
Maybe that’s enough.  
  


* * *

  
Well… I finally did it..  
  
I walked into Nico’s room just before sundown, clutching the tunic to my chest as I tried to calm my nerves. He asked if I needed anything, and I told him I needed to talk. We sat down on the edge of his mattress, and I told him what I’d been rehearsing in my head all day.  
  
“Thank you… for everything you’ve done. For what you’re doing. You saved my life, and even now, when I’m too caught up in my own head to see that you’re trying to help, you keep trying.” I handed him the tunic, “I made this for you… Because you didn’t give up on me.”  
  
He sat blank faced for a moment before shaking out of his daze and taking the tunic out of my hands. He felt the fabric, and held it out in front of him. A small smile appeared on his face, and he turned back to me. “Thank you. And… you’re welcome.”  
  
He stood up and asked me if I could help him get his wings into it, which is a problem I’m well familiar with. After a few minutes, we managed to get the new tunic on, and found that it fit well enough. It was a bit loose, but that’s no big deal.   
  
Nico said some flattering things about the tunic, but I was more focused on preparing myself to tell him about my past. There was a brief silence as I sat down again, before quietly saying that I want to talk about what happened to me. He sat down next to me without a word and waited for me to begin.  
  
I started from all the way back when I was chased out of my burrow… I wanted to get everything out. I told him about losing Iora… Cantor… And finally… About the disaster that ended it all. As I started to tell him about Castelia, I couldn’t stop shaking, and began to cry. It was too much, I couldn’t handle it… and then Nico put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s alright if you want to stop,” he said. I shook my head, I had to finish this. I told him about everything I remember… As I talked, I started to remember some more details. I think getting it all out of my head unearthed some of it… None of it good. I remembered Freyr being cut down an instant after the Leavanny appeared. I remembered Tristan, already heavily injured by the Crimson Charger, luring it into a pillar that crushed them both as it fell. I remembered the moment my leg was cut open… And I remembered the moment I killed the beast that did it. I blasted its head with enough force to crush its shell and kill it on the spot.  
  
I couldn’t stop crying the whole time. When I finally finished telling it all, I just sat there quietly sobbing. After a moment, Nico started to bring an arm around me, but he hesitated and mumbled “Is it alright if I, uh… do you want to be alone, or…”  
  
I knew what he was trying to do… and I needed that. I didn’t want to be alone, I needed someone there. I threw my arms around him in an awkward hug and cried into his shoulder… Because he was there… Because he was real… He was the anchor that I needed.  
  
We didn’t say anything else. After the tears stopped, I felt it was time to leave, and went back to my bed without another word.  
  
I don’t know if doing all this will help in the long run. Right now I mostly just feel a bit empty. Empty… and peaceful. And… I guess that’s really what I wanted.


	16. Can't Get Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In those early days, we called them Beast-Kin, and cast them out, but shattering our own unity only hastened our fall. They dispersed into the wilderness while we huddled in our crumbling fortresses, slowly succumbing to the same changes that drove us to cast out our own.

2nd Moon, Day 17  
  
I slept well for once last night. Maybe telling Nico really did help? At the very least, I think it’s helped to keep my mind off it all.  
  
It’s been a fairly calm day, aside from a couple little incidents. Lots of walking practice- I’m really starting to get the hang of balancing on my own.  
  
I finally went outside again too, getting that practice. It was amazing to get another chance to see so many people out and about, it makes me feel… almost like I’m part of something, just being here. It’s wonderful.  
  
There was one strange thing I saw while I was out walking, though. Out in the center of the village, there was a woman in a cage, I think an Arbok Kindred, certainly a snake of some kind given that she didn’t even have legs, rather a massive serpentine tail, roughly coiled up in the small iron cage she was trapped in. I wonder what happened to get her locked in there… What she did.  
  
Once I got back from that trip, I was ambushed by Tyria in the hall. She dragged me into the large room where she was staying, and I had the chance to see all the children Elena and her assistant are taking care of. There were… I believe eight of them in all. A couple of the younger ones ran up to see me immediately, asking me who I was, if they could touch my wings… They reminded me a lot of Tyria, the way they were so innocent and truly full of wonder. As they were grabbing my wings and clothes, though, I spotted a little boy, maybe three years old, sitting off in a corner, and he… He looked… Deformed.  
  
He looked like a monster. As in, too much like a monster. He’s a Bagon Kindred, that much is for sure, but his arms were abnormally small, and his legs looked almost exactly like the drawing of a Bagon I have in my encyclopedia. After seeing a few more of the kids, I tracked down Elena and asked her about the boy.  
  
She sat me down and started explaining that in her years of working with children, there are a couple trends she’s noticed with newborns. First, the farther north they come from, the more they take after the monsters they’re Kindred to. Second, the stronger the Monster, the more monstrous the Kindred, and finally- and much more problematic- As time goes on, more kids are being born with more monstrous traits. Elena says the boy I saw comes from somewhere not far from the Victor’s Summit, more than far enough north to give him some strong characteristics of Bagon, something that isn’t helped by how powerful that Pokémon becomes.  
  
I… I don’t even know what to make of this. It’s terrifying. The thought that more and more kids are going to be born less and less… Human… I don’t know how to feel, how to think, other than afraid. Afraid of what this means for the future of the Kindred as a whole.  
  
Is… is there anything that can be done about this? How can we stop it?  
  
… We save the world… Like Freyr was trying to do…  
  
I can’t do that. Not anymore. Someone… Someone else can fight… 

* * *

 

2nd Moon, Day 18

  
Just when you think you’re safe, the world likes to throw something new at you to keep things interesting.   
  
I was kidnapped today.  
  
It was while I was out walking in the flax fields north of the village. I was just trying to practice walking a longer distance, but a sharp blow to the head quickly changed that. I blacked out for maybe a minute or two, and woke up with two people roughly dragging me through the remains of the harvest. I tried to fight back, but I was too weak to get myself free, and too dazed to attack psychically. They dragged me into the woods, where a third person I hadn’t yet seen grabbed my arm and looked at the Emblems. “She’s the one he wants!” He declared.  
  
I looked up and saw a large man wearing a padded jacket that I immediately recognized as the clothes of Team Plasma. By that point, my head was feeling a little clearer, so I launched my mind at the man in an attack, sending his reeling for a moment, but one of my other captors hit me with a club, breaking my focus. The large man drew a crude metal axe and approached me with a scowl. “Listen here,  _girl_ , Ghetsis wants you alive, but I imagine he’ll be fine with a damaged package if need be.”   
  
I stopped struggling, and started desperately trying to think of a way out. There was no way I could overpower the three of them on my own, I would have to take out at least one of them before I could make for an escape, ideally more than that. I remembered the last time I fought one of these Plasma grunts, back in the cave when we were rescuing the abra kid. I attacked with some kind of sound I created from my wings, which seemed like something I might be able to catch all of them with. I tried to remember how I did that, rapidly shaking my wings as best I could.  
  
Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, and I started feeling my frustration building. I internally raged at my captors, cursing that they’d managed to find me, and then…  
  
It’s difficult to describe exactly how it feels to use an ability, especially a new one. I’ve tried explaining exactly how I use my psychic powers before, and it’s never come across to anyone. The best that I can say for what happened then is that the anger I was feeling… I pushed it into my wings.  
  
Suddenly, I felt something loose on their surface. It was like the sand from the desert, but much lighter. I shook off my wings, and a cloud of purple dust flew off of them. A moment after, the two people holding me started coughing and loosened their grip. I tore away from them and tried to take flight, but one of them, still coughing and gagging on the dust, grabbed my leg and threw me off course into a nearby tree. The impact shook off my peg leg, leaving me sprawled on the ground.  
  
The large man with the axe rushed over to me while I was reeling from the impact, and raised his weapon to strike, only to be blindsided by a woman crashing into him out of the trees. She tore gashes into his clothing, ripping apart the layered cloth, but the marks didn’t match the size of her hand, and I don’t even remember seeing claws on her. Something wasn’t right, but I hardly had time to wonder. The other two grunts were up and ready to fight, though they were clearly not at their best. They were hunched over and breathing heavily, occasionally still coughing, but there were still two of them with clubs in hand.  
  
I propped myself up against the tree and started throwing out mental attacks at the two grunts. While I was fighting, I heard something strange from the ongoing battle to the side, sort of like a pained growling. I whipped around and saw the woman had taken a hit from the axe, but the area around the wound looked strange. It was… shimmering, like the horizon in the desert. The shimmering cascaded across her whole body, revealing in its wake not a Kindred, but a Pokemon- a Zoroark. It growled and fired a blast of pitch black energy at its foe that nearly knocked him off his feet.  
  
The two grunts I was fighting ran away once they saw the illusion break, and the man with the axe followed shortly after, leaving me alone with the monster. It stepped toward me slowly, growling deeply. I scrambled away, and got ready to take off, but a voice cut me off.  
  
“Elli, stop!” A young man I hadn’t seen in a long time ran up… N.  
  
To my astonishment, the Zoroark listened to him, and backed away, though it never stopped glaring at me.. “Leave her be, she’s safe,” he turned to me, “are you alright?”  
  
I started stammering, barely able to believe what I was seeing. N bit his lip and sighed. “I’ve got a lot to explain.” He said. I started asking a hundred questions about why a monster had just listened to him. As I was saying that nobody’s been able to command Pokemon since The Calamity, everything suddenly fell into place.  
  
The first time we met in front of that library, N said that “the world is so cruel for you”, and I couldn’t figure out what he meant. Who was “you”? Well… He was talking about us. The Kindred.  
  
As opposed to him.  
  
A human.  
  
That’s how he was able to control the Zoroark, he’s human, he’s able to exist with Pokemon not as mortal enemies but as companions. Honestly, it also explains that strange feeling I had the last time I saw him, like I should listen to him. I think it's the same thing that compels Pokemon to listen to him, it's calling on the part of me that's... well, Pokemon. It makes sense...  
  
When I realized this, I stopped talking and froze. “You’re human” was all I could muster to say.   
  
N nodded, and asked me to sit down. We had a lot to catch up on.  
  
First things first, he needed to explain how he was human. Unfortunately, even he doesn’t really know. His earliest memories are of being taken in and raised by a Zoroark, and he has no memory of his parents at all. He’s known the Zoroark, Elli, for his entire life. They’re practically siblings.  
  
Eventually, he was discovered by Ghetsis, who slaughtered the Pokemon that raised him and took N captive, seeing potential use for a human in his plans. When it was discovered that N had the potential to receive the Emblems, Ghetsis sent him on a journey to begin collecting them, and that he has done rather well- He has two more of them than I do. I don’t remember exactly what they looked like, but one of them was definitely a humanoid, and the other looked like a set of teeth. More recently, though, he’s been in hiding from Team Plasma for months now. In particular, he's hiding from the Shadow Triad, which Ghetsis was using to force N to seek the Emblems. They’re a group of assassins and spies, and went so far as to kill his team members just to keep him in line.  
  
I asked him why Ghetsis wanted him to get the Emblems. “They’re the key to the Wellspring,” He said. I’d pretty much forgotten about the Wellspring by that point, it had gotten lost in all that’s happened. He continued, “Ghetsis wants to get there to gain power, that much I’m sure of. The most that I’ve been able to gather about the spring itself is that it’s some kind of vessel for energy. Beyond that, I know it has something to do with this… With Zekrom.” He drew back his sleeve and showed me a black mark on his wrist shaped like a dragon. It was just like the mark I got back in the castle ruins… I showed it to him, and his face lit up. “Then… You found it. You found the other half of Eternity.”   
  
Reshiram said that it had a “brother”, and something about unity being broken… Let me find what it said...  
  
**“You must bring me to the Wellspring, it has been far too long since unity was broken. My brother must be found and brought back to Eternity, lest this world perish before chaos.”**  
  
Eternity… The Spirit of Eternity. I wandered upon half of a deity back in that ruin. Which of course begs the question… why is this all powerful spirit split in two? N says that he found an old record stating that two princes, warring heirs of Unova, went to the Victor’s Summit to “inherit the world”. Neither of us are sure of what that means, but whatever happened, it split Eternity in two, and the world fell apart in the aftermath.  
  
We drifted into silence for a moment, before N quietly asked me what happened to my foot. I just told him I lost it in a battle… and that everyone he’d seen me with before was gone too. His face went pale, and he apologized for bringing it up. Things went silent again for a moment, before he muttered “That might be why you weren’t able to channel just now.”  
  
He explained that channeling can speed up healing, and it’s likely that I’ve been drawing a lot of energy after the injury. That might even be part of why I recovered from the surgery so well.  
  
Though, I wasn’t sure it was just that. I told him that every time I’ve channeled before, it only happened when I was truly desperate, but just now, I felt more... Powerless. Nothing happened.  
  
He nodded, and told me that channeling responds to willpower and strong emotion. It could be love, determination, or even fear, as long as it has direction and will behind it. Of course, it still needs power. N told me to try to find that power.  
  
Nothing seemed to happen. I kept trying to find it in me, but there was nothing there. I closed my eyes, and searched through my mind, looking for something I wasn’t sure was even there. All I found was an empty space, a place where something should have been, in the back of my mind. I told N, and he asked me what happened the last time I channeled.  
  
I don’t remember much about it. Only flashes, and… It may not have even been the battle in Castellia that caused this. It might have been whatever happened in the days after… when I only remember a feeling of incomparable power.  
  
N said that I was probably experiencing a burnout from using too much energy. It happened to him once, and he lost several days of time to both to unconsciousness, and a lapse in memory, just like my own.  
  
Because of this, I can’t channel anymore, at least not for a while. I’m spent, like an empty waterskin. That’s… That’s fine, really. I shouldn’t need to channel while I’m here. Barring any other kidnappings…  
  
Things went quiet again, and the sound of a dull growl reminded me that there was a Pokemon just… Sitting nearby. The Zoroark was glaring at me, and as soon as I met its gaze, it started growling louder and bared its teeth. “Elli, it’s alright. Stay calm.” N said gently.  
  
Once again, it listened to him, and quieted down. Again, seeing him command this monster was… impossible. I can barely wrap my head around the idea of being able to control them, it just would not sit right in my head. They always, always attack.  
  
Which got me thinking… Why? It’s something I’ve wondered before, but never found an answer. Well, I was sitting next to a person that could actually communicate with Pokemon in some capacity, so I asked.  
  
“It’s hard to say exactly, they don’t really communicate in the same way we do, but the basic problem is that they think Kindred aren’t… Right. They see you as unnatural, and react by attacking.”  
  
Unnatural? That seems… I mean, there was that one time that I read that we’re a corruption of some kind, a result of an imbalance. Maybe that’s… It still doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t like thinking that Kindred are a problem, we’re just what we are.  
  
After another moment of quiet, N stood up. “It’s about time I started gathering the Emblems again. I can’t run from this anymore.” he said, with a grim look on his face. “Be careful. If Ghetsis is after you, he won’t hold back. I’ll try to kick up a little noise, maybe get some attention off of you.”  
  
He started to walk away. Before he left, he turned around and said that Zekrom told him to go to Dragonspiral tower. “Did your dragon ask you to do the same?”  
  
It did.  
  
“Then I’ll try to meet you there. They must have reason for asking us to go there…”  
  
With that, he left.  
  
I didn’t say anything, but I was glad that he’s off to gather the emblems, he’s really dedicated to it. But … I can’t get away from this mission. Everywhere I turn, it rears its head and reminds me that there is so much more to be done.  
  
I’m not leaving. Being here is the closest thing to happiness that I’ve had in the longest time. I’m not about to give that up now.  
  
I fit my peg back on and made my way back to the clinic as quick as I could. I told Elena and Nico about what happened… They’d seen Team Plasma before, they’d occasionally try to recruit Kindred in Anville, but they’d never known about how horrible they really are. We all agreed that I shouldn’t go out alone, not with Plasma out looking for me. That’s fine by me.  
  
I also told Nico about N later on. He seemed really doubtful about it, but ultimately said he trusted me. I get the feeling that he doesn’t completely buy it, but he hasn’t tried to change my mind.  
  
I know what I saw though. It shouldn’t be possible, but I saw it.


	17. Call to Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were many who tried to flee, clinging to rumors that the Calamity had not affected distant lands so strongly, but all signs pointed to the inevitability of the spreading corruption. It spread from the mount like a tidal wave that overturned the world as it passed.

2nd Moon, Day 19  
  
This morning I asked Elena if there was anybody who could fix up the sword, it’s about time that I took care of that. She directed me to a small stone structure near the end of town that smelled of sweat and smoke. Inside the open walled building, I found an absolute behemoth of a man, an Aggron Kindred that was probably four times my weight, if not more. When I came in, he was working on what I think was some kind of farming tool. He greeted me without looking up from his work, carefully hammering a dimly glowing piece of metal into shape.  
  
It was really fascinating watching him work. Actually seeing him reshape metal with little more than heat and some force was incredible… I knew it was possible, but being there in person is something else entirely.  
  
I waited for him to finish working on that piece before showing him the sword. While I waited, I noticed how strongly the heat radiating from the furnace contrasted with the cold autumn wind behind me. The trees are starting to turn yellow and orange, and that means winter won't be far behind…  
  
When the metal was too cold to work anymore, he finally set down his tools and asked to see what I'd brought him. When I drew the sword, he whistled softly and muttered that he hadn't seen an old world blade in years. He took it from me and started looking over it in detail. “Remarkably well maintained, aside from some recent rust damage, though it desperately needs sharpening. Tell me, did you come on this recently?”  
  
I nodded and said I'd inherited it from a friend.  
  
“Probably didn't have the chance to teach you how to maintain it, did they?” He was rather blunt. Again, I nodded. I also told him it got… Blood on it. I tried not to recall how.  
  
“That's the first rule of blade maintenance, always keep it clean. Listen, I think I can work in a few hours to fix this beauty up. Come back in a few days, I should have it at least sharpened and polished up a bit. I can teach you how to take care of it, too.” He then set it aside and returned to his work.  
  
As I walked away, I thought about the sword… It’s not as though I know how to use it. Cantor taught me a bit of the basics, but I never really grasped it. So… I found myself thinking about why I felt it was important to get it fixed up. In the end… I think it’s because it’s what Cantor and Freyr both would have wanted. The sword meant something to them, even if only as just a weapon… I should try to take care of it. For them. For their memory.  
  
A few hours after I got back to the clinic, Juniper came in asking for me. She wanted to talk some more about magic, and show me some of her work. I agreed, and she took me to her home. We talked a bit on the way about how my recovery was going, and some of what else has happened since we last met. When we reached her house, though, she got right into showing me around.  
  
The first thing she showed me was a small red and white crystal ball. She held it in front of me, and asked me to reach for it, but as soon as I was about to touch it, a bolt of electricity shot out of it directly into my hand. Juniper laughed, and apologized, saying she never quite got tired of that. I gave her a quick psychic jolt in response, which she admitted she deserved. She handed me the ball and explained that it’s a Volt Orb, a piece of old world arcanotech that, as she had just demonstrated, produces small bursts of electricity. There are two runes on the back of it- pressing against one will charge it, and the other releases, though Juniper did warn me that charging it for too long will make it explode. How comforting.   
  
I asked her how it worked, and she explained as best she could. “You know how I said channeling requires a channeler and a Pokemon to work? Well, the simplest way to explain arcanotech is that it’s creating an artificial pokemon to cause an effect, and using a charged crystal instead of a channeler for power. There’s more to it than that, but that’s just about how it works.”  
  
She showed me a few more bits of tech- a few tools for producing light, a heavy metal plate that could get hot enough to cook food, a device for cleaning water… most of the artefacts she had are broken, though. She did mention that she’s been looking for something she called a “Porygonal Prism”, supposedly a masterwork of arcane engineering capable of a myriad of powerful attacks.  
  
While I was there, I told Juniper what N taught me about channeling. She took some notes and filed them away, saying that a fair bit of it lined up with what she'd read. She was surprised to learn about the burnout though.   
  
She said I could keep the Volt Orb. I'm not sure what use I might have for it, but she's got a half dozen more. Maybe I'll need it at some point. I'm a little worried about how it can apparently explode, but Juniper says you really have to charge it for a full minute before it'll go off, so… I'll just slip that into my bag, maybe it'll be useful someday.  
  
Well, Elena tells me she wants me to start earning my keep tomorrow, so I'd better get some rest.  
  
2nd Moon, Day 20  
  
Elena woke me up this morning and handed me a basket, said I was going to help Nico gather herbs. We left with a couple small loaves of bread for breakfast, and made our way into the woods past the fields.  
  
Nico showed me what we were looking for and taught me about what some of the herbs did. I already knew that sitrus roots dulled pain, but he also told me about how pecha leaves can be dried, then ground up and eaten at a way to counter certain poisons, and even the incredibly sweet fruit can help treat minor toxins. The juices of the rawst berry soothe burns, oran juice can be used to clean small wounds… Frankly, I don't remember all of what he told me, but it was still fascinating.  
  
As we were walking back, someone called my name. Someone familiar. I turned, and saw a face I hadn't seen in what felt like forever   
  
Annabelle.  
  
She rushed to me and grabbed my hands. “Valna, you made it! Gods above, I'm so glad to see you again!” She threw her arms around me and held me tight. “I saw what happened… I'm so sorry… What happened to you? What… What happened to your foot?”  
  
For a moment, I stood there, consumed by conflicting emotions. She's alive, she made it. But then… She left us there. When we needed her most.  
  
I thought about pushing her away. There was a part of me that felt angry, that couldn't forgive her, but…  
  
She's alive.  
  
I returned the hug and told her to come with us to the clinic. I asked her to tell me what happened to her before getting into my story. A while after fleeing the battle, she came back, and saw the carnage. She tried to look for me, but I was already gone. She spent a couple days burying them… I'm glad they weren't just left to rot. After that, she flew north through the desert, found the rail station and arrived in Anville just a couple days ago.  
  
When we got to the clinic, I introduced Anna to Tyria and Elena, and finally told her what happened to my leg. She looked down at her hands and muttered “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you… I could have… If I’d known…”  
  
I told her it’s alright. It’s not her fault. Besides, I got help from Nico. And Tyria, and Elena… I’ve gotten a lot of help lately. I wouldn’t be here without that help.  
  
We caught up a little bit more, talking about New Anville… Anna’s staying with some other newcomers, and is looking for some way to contribute. I’m sure she’ll find something that suits her. Anyway, she stuck around to help us prepare the herbs Nico and I had just gathered, but she said she wanted to go see if she could help out preparing the year’s harvest to store over the winter, or at least working to arrange the harvest celebration that’s apparently happening this coming week, so we said a quick goodbye and she went on her way.  
  
It was nice to find her… I’m so glad she’s alright.

* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 21  
  
I had another nightmare last night. It wasn't about the battle… It was just… Being alone… Alone and afraid.  
  
Fortunately I did have the benefit of getting to help take care of all the kids, after going to pick up the sword. The smith gave me a thorough primer on to how to care for the blade… Cleaning the blade, sharpening it, keeping it dry… There’s a lot that goes into keeping a sword ready for battle. It took me a bit to really figure out the sharpening motions, but the smith took the time to show me enough times to get it right.  
  
Honestly, nothing gets me out of a bad mood like seeing all those kids playing. It takes me out of the world and into this space where everything is fine, where there’s no danger, just a little island of joy.  
  
The morning wasn’t without incident, though. At one point, Sam, a little Pidgey Kindred, got on top of a cabinet while I wasn’t looking, and he ended up slipping. He’s far from being able to fly yet, so he just fell. I tried to catch him with telekinesis (I finally found that word in the dictionary!), but before I could apply the full force, he landed on something floating in the air. I ran up and grabbed him, and saw that there was a shiny… surface floating there. I turned around and saw Elena standing near the door. Her eyes were glowing slightly, and her hand was stretched out toward me. When she lowered her hand, the glowing stopped, and the reflective surface disappeared. “Glad I walked in just now,” She said before taking Sam out of my hands. She started scolding him lightly for climbing the furniture like that, but I could tell she was really just relieved he was alright.  
  
A little dumbstruck, I asked what she just did. I was rather surprised to see that she had psychic powers at all, honestly. She smiled slightly and explained, “barrier projection. Some people call it a ‘reflect’. Interesting little psychic trick, comes in handy- Sam, please stop waving your wings in my face- It’s a handy tool sometimes, though it’s mostly meant for defending yourself.”  
  
That sounded useful. I asked if she could teach me, and she said she should be able to. Unlike most psychic abilities, barrier projection is something a lot of Kindred can learn. She explained that projecting it requires picturing the barrier appearing where you want it, and imagining the air there holding perfectly still, as though it were made of rock.  
  
I started giving it a try, and it really wasn’t as easy as it sounds, but I managed to start getting some weak barriers up. At first they were more like areas of thick air, though, if that makes any sense.  
  
Just as I was starting to get the hang of the projection, we heard yelling from outside. Elena stood up and said there was a meeting going on, something important. We all ran outside, and headed where everyone was gathering in the center of the village. I was a little overwhelmed by how many people were there. I got a feeling like when I first stepped off the station, a steady drone of emotion, only this time it was heavily weighted with worry.  
  
After a few minutes, a Raichu Kindred at the front of the crowd shouted for everyone to quiet down, and announced that a group of powerful monsters attacked some Kindred that were making their way to Anville. Only a couple of them survived.  
  
Immediately, the crowd started muttering. There were people who said we should ignore it, wait for them to leave, and some who said that we had to do something… But there wasn't a clear consensus. I heard some people argue that as long as they didn’t come into the tunnel, it wasn’t our problem, but there seemed to be just as many saying we have to keep the way clear for people to come in.  
  
I was just trying to figure out what to think when I spotted Tyria hiding behind someone, trying to listen in. I called her out and told her to go home, but she refused, saying she wanted to hear. I started arguing with her as quietly as I could, but she practically started shouting “NO!”, which drew in all the attention I was hoping to avoid.  
  
“Alright, if we can’t all come to a decision, then I’ll make one myself!” The Raichu Kindred shouted, breaking attention away from me and Tyria. “Tomorrow morning I’m going hunting. Anyone else who cares about what New Anville is can join me in the rail station at dawn.” He looked out at the crowd. “We all came here looking for refuge. It falls to us to make sure others can find it too.”   
  
There was a moment of silence. Then, the deep voice of the blacksmith spoke up. “I’ll fight!” He yelled as he stepped forward, standing proud. He was joined by a Gothorita Kindred, probably not much older than I am. She didn’t say anything, just stepped up and faced the crowd. Then a Quagsire Kindred said she’d fight as well… And then… Nico and Elena both said they’d go.  
  
I am... Very concerned about this. Nico says he thinks going is the right thing to do, Elena is going along to help the injured… I just met everyone, I don't want them running off into danger.  
  
Suddenly, another voice cut through the air. It was the Arbok Kindred in the cage, the same one I saw the other day. She pressed herself against the bars and rattled them as she spoke. “Let me fight! I can help, let me make up for what I’ve done!”  
  
The dull noise of the crowd died down for a moment as the woman’s cry echoed through the village, but nobody said anything beyond a nervous whisper. The caged woman slinked back against the corner of the cage, hands against her head. “Let me fight… Please, just… Let me do  _something_ …”  
  
Silence fell again. Slowly, the crowd returned its attention to the growing group of volunteers, completely heedless of the woman’s cries.   
  
Tyria tugged on my shirt and looked up at me with a frown. “Aren’t you going to go?” She asked.  
  
I shook my head and said I didn’t want to fight. I never want to fight. Tyria insisted, “but you’re the hero, you have to help!” She cried. I just shook my head and said I wasn’t going to go. She looked… Hurt. I… I wasn’t sure what to say. I tried to reach out to her, but she turned away and ran back home without another word.  
  
There were a few more minutes of muffled discussion, but no one else volunteered. The Raichu Kindred restated that they would meet tomorrow at dawn, and said that anyone else who wants to fight is welcome to join them. With that, the crowd dispersed, and we went back home. The rest of the day has gone by with a distinct tension hanging over the place. Nico was out back practicing his attacks on a tree stump for a good couple hours… Elena packed a large bag with medical supplies for the battle ahead… And the whole day, Tyria kept avoiding me. It’s so unlike her… I’m getting worried, but… What can I do?  
  
… I don’t know what I’m going to do if anything happens to them… I can’t lose anybody else…


	18. Not Anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of the tide of Calamity, little was left. Our cities in ruins, our deeds to dust, our great works and wonders to rubble, our stories to little more than rumor and myth. So it is that the Kindred are the last of humanity's legacy. A broken remnant of something once great.

2nd Moon, Day 22  
  
Tyria is missing.  
  
Laurel, Elena’s assistant, woke me up in a panic this morning with that very news. We spent some time searching around before it dawned on me where she must have gone:   
  
She followed the hunting party.   
  
I immediately took off in the direction of the station, flying as fast as I could and calling Tyria’s name the whole time. I had to stop before I reached the station, only making it as far as the town square. It was early enough that it was empty, save for the Arbok Kindred in the cage, coiled up against the bars. I ran up to her and asked if she’d seen a little girl with a blue flame above her head. She said she’d seen her run by just after the hunters went into the station, but didn’t see where she went. I rushed for the station, but she stopped me and asked what I was doing..  
  
I told her Tyria must have followed the hunters, and she immediately asked to let her come with me. “I can help, please. I know what I did, just give me a chance to redeem myself!”  
  
I hesitated… And asked her… What  _did_  she do?  
  
She froze up, and looked down. The cobra hood around her head drooped as she muttered, “I… I killed him.”  
  
I stopped, and took a step back. She… Killed someone?  
  
“Someone died, and it was my fault. What more is there to say?” She said quietly. “...Just go.”  
  
On one hand… She was a killer. She’d admitted it to me herself. On the other… I could feel the aching, gnawing regret and shame that hung over her. It was intense, well beyond anything I’d ever sensed coming from one person.  
  
“You… You really regret that… Don’t you…” I said in a slight daze.  
  
“More than anything I’ve ever done.” She responded.  
  
I… I didn’t have time to stand there forever. I had to make a decision… I looked at her, then at the station. She looked strong… underneath the scars covering her arms she was muscled in the way that only a fighter could be. I finally decided that I needed whatever help I could get. I told her she could come with me.  
  
She stared at me, dumbstruck. “You… You really…  **Thank you.** ” She grabbed my hands through the bars as she delivered what was probably the most earnest thanks I’ve ever heard.  
  
Unfortunately, she was still stuck inside the cage. I tried to open the door, but it was stuck shut. I fiddled with it for a moment, trying to figure out how to open it, but there wasn’t anything that I could move, just a metal box with a large hole in it.  
  
“I think the blacksmith might have a key to the lock at his house-” She started to say. I cut her off, saying there just wasn’t time for that even if I did know how a lock worked. I reached into my pack and pulled out the Volt Orb Juniper gave me. I then started making a glob of silk, which I used to stick the orb to the lock before starting to charge it. I told her to get to the far end of the cage, and projected a barrier between her and the orb. The orb started making a strained screeching sound, before finally shaking madly in my grasp. I threw myself to the ground, trying to keep focus on the barrier while I fell.  
  
The Volt Orb exploded with a huge blast that left my ears ringing. I stumbled back up, and saw that the blast had left the lock cracked and bent. Without missing a beat, the Arbok Kindred coiled up, and launched herself at the door with enormous force, shattering the lock and throwing the door open. We took off toward the rail station without another word, got on a rail car, and started on our way.  
  
Right now, I’m still on that rail car, writing all this down before we arrive… It’s weird to think, but right now, the whole hunting party is still on the way there. The combat hasn’t even begun, but I can’t stop worrying about what's going to happen… I just hope Tyria is going to be alright…  
  
I've been so wrapped up in everything that's been happening that I never even stopped to ask this woman's name until right now, as I'm writing this… Right now, she’s just coiled up at the other end of the car, eyes closed, breathing deep. She’s so… calm. I guess… A whole lot more than I am.   
  
I think it's about time I asked about her story.  
  


* * *

  
Her name is Selene, and she comes from the forests north of Nimbasa. I asked her to tell me exactly what happened… How it was that she killed someone.  
  
She was on a hunting trip with a Zangoose Kindred named Leo. “A judgemental jerk, always going on about how he ‘doesn't trust snakes’,” she said. But, they seemed to work alright together, and there was safety in numbers, so she stuck with him.  
  
The hunt went well, but when they were nearly back to Anville, Leo made off with several of Selene's kills. “Probably wanted to take credit for himself…” she muttered before continuing. When Selene found out, she chased after him, and they started fighting. First with words, then with fists, and finally with tooth and claw.  
  
“I bit him. Gave a full dose of venom, I was so blinded by my own stupid anger. As soon as the toxins we're in him, he started going berserk, tearing into me with a ferocity I'd never seen before… Until… Until it was too late. He passed out, and died shortly after. There was no way I could have gotten him back to the healer before he succumbed to my own venom…”  
  
She looked off to the side. “I could have easily said a monster did it. Everyone would have believed it… But I know what I did. I told them, they locked me up, and two months later, here we are.” She sighed. “He may have been a judgemental bastard, but he didn't deserve what I did to him.”  
  
I'm still not sure what to think about Selene. by any reasonable measure, I should have every reason to doubt her, but… I  _know_  how much she regrets it. I could feel it.  
  
I'm going to trust her… For now.  
  
Well… Like Selene said, here we are. By now, it’s possible that the battle has begun… It’s hard to keep track of time when we’re down here, but I can’t help but think that we’re just about there. I want to get there as soon as possible to make sure Tyria’s safe, but… At the same time, there’s this part of me that doesn’t want to arrive at all, just because I know what I’m going to be getting into… Another battle… I still don’t want to fight, but… This isn’t about me right now  
  
  
I can see light up ahead…   
  
We’re here.  
  


* * *

  
…I will never grow used to the daze that comes after a battle… Leaves me feeling so… Disconnected. Almost like things aren’t real.  
  
It's been the better part of six or seven hours since it all happened, but even back home, it all feels so fresh in my mind… I suppose there's no better time to write it down than now.  
  
We ran out of the tram station to find the air reeking of that same metallic scent I smelled in the workshops more than a week ago - ozone. We weren’t sure of where to go until we heard an enormous crack of thunder to the east.  
  
We went as fast as we could, and eventually found ourselves deep in the workshop complex where I first found Juniper. We saw a trail of carnage, half a dozen dead Pokemon strewn about, an Emolga, Raichu, Ampharos...  Finally, we came upon two pokemon, a Zebstrika and a Galvantula, standing in front of a shimmering barrier that surrounded a small group of kindred… The hunters. Elena stood in the center of the barrier, straining to keep it up under the constant battering of the Zebstrika’s hooves. Nico was struggling to stand up behind her, and a number other Kindred were lying on the ground, either unconscious, injured or dead. And in front of them all… Tyria. She stood with her arms outstretched, staring down the monsters and shouting at them to leave. Elena screamed at her to run, for once showing not only fear but desperation.  
  
As we ran up, I saw that the Galvantula wasn’t attacking… It was just standing there, with tiny arcs of electricity dancing across its body with increasing speed. Then, when we were only a couple dozen yards away, it unleashed its charge, calling down a colossal thunderbolt from the clouds above directly onto Tyria.  
  
The barrier shattered. Tyria fell.  
  
…It's difficult to explain what exactly happened in my mind at that moment. A rush of despair, a flash of anger, the tiniest bit of hope holding on… but none of it mattered. Every emotion, every thought was overridden by action. I moved without thinking, not even stopping to think of a plan.  
  
I flew forward, trying to get to Tyria before the Pokemon could. Elena ran to her as well, her hands already glowing dimly with healing light.   
  
The Zebstrika was the closest target, and the fastest. I lashed out with as much psychic energy as I could muster, before finally slamming my foot into its face and taking off away from everyone. As I flew away, I glanced back to make sure it was following me, and saw Selene diving at the Galvantula with her jaw opened wider than seemed possible, massive fangs bared.  
  
I couldn’t outrun the Zebstrika forever, but I could turn corners faster, so I started weaving between buildings, taking every opportunity to cut off my pursuer’s building speed. Even still, there was no way I could keep flying long enough to exhaust that thing. I needed a plan… I remembered being captured, and how I managed to get myself loose. I recreated that moment, forcing anger and fear into my wings until a fine purple dust wafted off them toward the Zebstrika. I heard it stumble slightly, and smiled. It was working. I turned a corner and let out another burst of toxic dust, and kept that up, even as my shoulders were starting to sear with pain from how hard I was flying.  
  
For several agonizing minutes, the chase kept going, turning corners, releasing dust, and pushing past the rising exhaustion. Until I heard the Zebstrika stumble, trip, and fall to the ground. I landed, and faced the beast. It was desperately trying to get up, but it had already inhaled enough poison to leave it incapable of standing. I walked up, heaving breaths, and drew the sword…  
  
… Something changed as I slid the steel from its sheath. Suddenly… I realized… That sword is mine. I'm not just carrying it for the fallen, it belongs to me now. It and all the meaning it carries.  
  
I drew  **my**  sword.  
  
I drove my blade into the monster’s neck. Dark red blood poured out, staining the dirt and filling the air with a scent I wish I could forget. A moment later, it was dead.   
  
I hobbled as fast as I could back to where I’d begun that mad chase, constantly worrying about Nico, Elena, and most of all, Tyria. When I finally arrived, Selene was wrapped around the Galvantula, occasionally squeezing harder, accompanied by a slight cracking sound. It was oozing yellowish blood from a dozen bite wounds, to say nothing of how much it was losing from the massive cracks in its shell. Even still, it was alive. I put my hand on my sword and stepped forward, but Selene told me to stop. “I've got this one locked down.” She said, squeezing her tail tighter. “Only a matter of time before it gives up. Go help her with the kid.” She gestured toward Elena, who was kneeling over Tyria's unconscious body. I ran over and asked if Tyria was alright.  
  
“She’s alive…” Elena responded with tension in her voice. “It’s hard to say how well she’ll recover, electrocution isn’t so simple as a flesh wound. There could be all kinds of complications… But… She’s alive.”  
  
I knelt down awkwardly, put a hand on the tiny child’s chest, and started to sniffle, just holding back tears of relief… Just… She’s alive. She made it. We still don’t know if she’ll really be okay, but… Right now… Alive is miraculous enough. I threw my arms around Elena and thanked her. I’m not really sure why.   
  
We sat there for a moment before I realized there was something…Something I needed to do. It was a feeling I was familiar with… There was another altar nearby, and it was ready for me. Or maybe… I was ready for it.  
  
I searched for a few minutes before finding a small shrine crammed between the workshop ruins, where there was a familiar stone altar.  
  
“As life thrived upon our world, Celebi became Xerneas, who saw the young world and brought forth humanity, beings of order, of light, to reify the potential of the burgeoning world under their will.  
  
By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Humanity as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory."  
  
It's the same symbol that I saw on N's arm, but looking more closely, I can see a bit more detail. Let me sketch this out…  
  
  
  
As the Emblem appeared, I felt something inside me… That place in the back of my mind that felt empty when N was trying to teach me how to channel, it suddenly felt much less empty. Not quite… Full, but… There's something there now.  
  
When I walked back, Selene was gathering the dead, taking their bodies to to the railcar. We lost the Raichu Kindred that rallied the hunt yesterday, along with the Gothorita Kindred who joined him from the crowd yesterday. A couple others were still recovering from the battle, including Nico, who was just then starting to feel steady on his feet again.  
  
I looked at Tyria, and started to realize something… I've been thinking about it a lot ever since then.  
  
I have to keep going.  
  
I have to. For her. For everybody. So nobody has to fight to survive anymore, that's why I was doing this. That's why Cantor and Freyr were doing this, it's so kids like Tyria can grow up in a world without fear. It's so the Kindred can live in a world of our own.  
  
When the time came to take the rail back to New Anville, I turned to Selene and asked her what she would do next. She just said she'd turn herself back in… I offered her an alternative. “You want to redeem yourself…” I told her. “Well… would you help me save our world?”  
  
I explained to her the quest, to reach the Wellspring and make things right. I need strong fighters by my side, and she's proven herself today…  
  
After a brief pause to take it all in, Selene smiled and agreed to come with me. I told her to wait near the rail station for a few days while I gather supplies and any other allies I can muster.  
  
With that, I got on the rail car and we started on our way back. I spent much of the ride either staring into space or outright unconscious, trying to let myself relax after all that had happened… Now I’m back home. Tyria is in another room, under constant watch to see when she wakes up. She’s stable, it’s just… Now we wait. It’s all we can do.  
  
… I’ve been looking at my sword a lot. A blade that was once Freyr’s, and Cantor’s before that… I’ve got it next to me now. As I look at, I find myself thinking about all that’s happened, all that I’ve done and all I’ve learned… I’m thinking about my mission. My quest. This thing that until today… I’d abandoned. Part of me wonders what’s really changed to make me dedicate myself to it once again, but… I think I know what it is.  
  
This isn't just about me. Not anymore.


	19. One Little Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ours is this world, ruin and all, to bear until we fall from memory. The wilds seek our end, while we squabble over scraps and scavenge, all while our works and wonders collapse around us. Thus does the Age of Prosperity end, and the Age of Calamity begin.

2nd Moon, Day 23  
  
It’s been a long time since I woke up feeling so exhausted. There’s something about battle that leaves me more drained than anything else, and that carries on for days afterward. I went to sleep yesterday resolving to start preparing to leave today, but… I decided to let it rest… To let me rest.  
  
It was a quiet day. The most that I did was checking on Nico and Tyria. Nico got a nasty shock, and he says he’s still feeling a little numb in some places, but Tyria… She’s stable, but... Hasn’t shown signs of improving yet.  
  
She’ll get better… She has to…  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 24  
  
I started making preparations today. It started by talking with Nico. I’d told him bits and pieces about this quest before, but this time I made sure to tell him everything.  
  
When I finished talking, I asked if he would come with me. Of anyone I know, I wanted to have him along the most… I’m not even sure why. I just… I trust him. I want him with me.  
  
To my surprise, he rather quickly answered with “I’ll go”. I hadn’t expected to convince him so easily… I asked him if he was sure, and he calmly said “you’ll need help… I want to help you. I… I just do.” He seemed a little unsure of himself at the end there, but I wasn’t about to turn him down.   
  
My next step was to see if I could get help from Elena. At the very least, I figured I could get her help gathering medical supplies we might need, but when I explained it all to her, she said, “you’re on pilgrimage then… To the Victor’s summit.”  
  
I asked her what she meant, and she went to get an old book bound in etched leather that read “Credo Eterna” on the cover. She flipped it open to a page with an illustration of the Emblems on someone’s arm, just like they are on my own. She read to me a section outlining a sacred journey of gathering the Emblems and ascending to the Wellspring to ask the Spirit of Eternity for a blessing.  
  
“So you intend to ask Eternity to restore the world?” She asked.  
  
I told her… Not exactly. I showed her the dragon marking Reshiram gave me on my other wrist and what Reshiram told me. When I said that it was likely half of the broken Eternal Spirit, her eyes went wide, she looked me dead in the eyes, and demanded, “Are you sure that’s what you heard? You’re sure that’s what it is?”  
  
I nodded. I have no reason to believe otherwise… That vision is still vivid in my mind, and it lines up with what N said. “If that’s right… Then there’s more at stake than we ever realized.” She muttered. “This isn’t another era, no, it’s something else… And if we don’t bring back the Spirit, the world may never be whole again…” She trailed off, and went quiet. In that moment, I saw a flurry of emotions run across her normally stern face. Worry, calm, fear, determination… Everything flew by, until finally she said… “I’m going with you”  
  
I nearly fell out of my chair. But… What about the clinic?   
  
"Of... Of course. The clinic... I…” She went quiet again, before shaking her head and continuing. “Leave that to me."  
  
She started listing off supplies I’d need, and left the room rather suddenly. Since then, I’ve been following Elena, helping her gather everything. It was a lengthy process of walking about town, and spending minutes on end bartering with people to part with their hard earned supplies. It was a curious system wrought with favors and promises, where a promise of help in the fields come spring was as valuable as a bag of salt or a sack of grain. There was a real sense of trust in these deals, like you knew that a promise was solid as steel. Nobody stopped to think that we might fail to follow through on our end. There were some people that freely volunteered supplies when Elena told them we were leaving on an important journey, and Elena accepted them with hugs and smiles.  
  
A few bundles of herbs and a poultice pouch for treating minor wounds for a pair of heavy cloaks. One more freely given, and a final one bought with a small bundle of mushrooms Elena called “truffles”. A promise to help sow next spring's crops, a bottle of flaxseed oil, another pair of simple poultice pouches, and a couple arcane trinkets Elena must have gotten from Juniper got us three heavy sacks of wheat and two of beans. We got a heavy bag of onions and one of carrots from one family that recognized me as the one who saved the hunting party a couple days ago, and Immediately offered to help.  
  
A bundle of sitrus roots for a bag of salt, a few sticks of crude incense for a bit of pepper, a promise to have the smith sharpen the butcher's knives once he recovered from the hunt in exchange for a disproportionate amount of salted meat… I think he may have been throwing in a little extra as a kindness. A lot extra, really.  
  
Finally, the biggest trade of all, a set of metal silverware, three bottles of homemade ale and two promises for unnamed favors to come, along with a heavy glare from Elena saying the man owed her a rather large favor, all to have the carpenters build a handcart to carry the horde of supplies we were amassing.  
  
We’re probably going to be better supplied for the winter than I’ve ever been. We may be able to leave in the couple days, even.  
  
... You know, there’s still a big part of me that wants to stay. Even more so now that I’ve seen so many people offer us supplies just… Out of kindness. Sure, a fair number of them did it on the pretense of what I did for the hunting party, or because of something Elena had done for them, but… I have a feeling that a lot of them were just helping out because they were able to. I don’t want to leave a community that does that kind of thing… But… This is more important.  
  
I still can’t believe that I’m the one recruiting people for the cause now. How things have changed… How I’ve changed…  
  
At the end of the day, after hours of bargaining and stocking up, I went to check on Tyria. She’s… Awake. Awake but not really… Whole. She took food and water just fine, so that's good, but she's got very little control over herself right now. She keeps having spasms and twitching, and we still don't know how much lasting damage there's going to be from the shock.  
  
Gods, if I’d just gone with the hunters...   
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 25  
  
....Well… It’s been an interesting day to say the least. For a while, it was just more preparations for our departure, but around midday, someone arrived at the clinic. I was in another room but… I recognized the voice instantly, weak though it was. I peeked past the door, and sure enough… It was Cheren.  
  
He was lying on a bed, with Elena and Lauren standing over him. He seemed to have some trouble breathing… Off to the side, I saw two other Kindred, a Staraptor and I think a Gigalith, the second of whom had a crude splint around his arm. I felt a fair bit of conflicting emotion right then… The last thing I knew about Cheren was that I saw him with Ghetsis back in Castelia. If he was somehow in league with him, I… I don’t even know what I would do, but I was angry.  
  
I stepped inside. Cheren looked at me and his eyes flared up. “YOU!” He shouted as he rose from the bed. But… He didn’t get far. As soon as he shouted, he clutched his chest and nearly fell over. Elena held him against the bed, and told me to leave.  
  
I stayed outside, trying to figure out what I might have done, but… I couldn’t remember anything. The only thing I know is that I saw him with Ghetsis just after the incident in Castelia… Eventually, Elena and Lauren walked out. Elena went straight out of the building, but Lauren explained to me what’s wrong. They’re confident Cheren has several broken ribs, and might have some less severe damage to his arms and legs. She said it’s amazing he didn’t puncture a lung.  
  
And they said that I did that.  
  
Lauren ran off to get some supplies, saying she needed to get the Gigalith Kindred’s arm set properly. I followed her I when she got back, and Cheren looked like he was about to start yelling again. I felt a twinge of my own anger start to bubble up, but I quickly fought it down and tried to stay a little calm. I started to talk, but he cut me off.  
  
“So you’re just going to walk in here after what you did-”  
  
“I don’t know what I did!” I shouted back. “I haven’t seen you since you were skulking about with the head of Team Plasma back in Castelia! And I only know that because I wrote it down, I barely remember anything after… About…”  
  
He scowled. “Team Plasma? What are you talking about?”  
  
I hesitated for the barest moment, then stepped forward and sat down at the bed across from him. “We both have some explaining to do, then.”  
  
He glared at me, and my instincts told me to run. Get out. I ignored them as best I could… I needed answers. After a tense moment, Cheren started, “You attacked us in the desert-”   
  
The Staraptor Kindred cut him off. “We started that” He said.  
  
Cheren scowled again. “We confronted you in the desert… I was… Hired to find you and bring you to someone. You resisted, and things became… Violent.”  
  
He went on to describe what happened… I… He said that I fought back everything he threw at me. He described me glowing with some energy and wielding enough power to stop him, hold him in place, and launch him across the desert.  
  
That's the power I remember. The moment like touching the sun.  
  
I asked him if Ghetsis hired him. He looked surprised. “You met him too? Why didn’t he just-” I shook my head, and told him about my encounter with him in the forest… He fumed quietly and muttered “That bastard… He offered me a month of supplies to find you, said he wanted to talk to you about the Emblems.”  
  
He went quiet for a moment, before saying he crossed the desert with his companions… He had to be carried half the way...  They made camp outside of Nimbasa, where he'd still be if Selene of all people hadn't found him last night and sent him our way.  
  
There was one other thing he said, in passing… Bianca left. She and several others that were with him. He didn't say why, or when, but… I felt his sadness. His shame. It was radiating off of him like a flame that burned cold.  
  
I didn't press him.  
  
Finally… He asked what happened to Cantor.  
  
I told him he died fighting for what he believed in. I went quiet, and looked away. Tension hung in the air for a moment, before Cheren finally asked me… What happened to the others with me?  
  
The question hit me like an arrow, sinking in deep as soon as I heard it. As much as I’d like to say that I was capable of dealing with it, that I’ve moved on… It still hurts. I flashed through the memories for a moment, and took a long breath. Annabelle got away, but… The rest… Gone.  
  
He went completely silent, and every bit of stoic resolve and anger left his face. Quietly, he said… “Valna, I'm… Sorry… If I'd known… If I'd just listened…” He looked at me, “I should’ve helped… I… I should've been better…”  
  
I said it was alright, but he didn't respond. The Gigalith Kindred put his hand on Cheren’s shoulder, and it seemed that he might say something, but he stayed quiet. Just… held his hand there for a moment. After we sat in silence for a while, Elena came back with the same Gengar Kindred that put me under during my surgery, and told me to get out of the room.  
  
Hours later, the doors opened again, and Lauren walked out of the room. She told me that they did what they could to get the pressure off Cheren’s lungs, but there’s very little they could do beyond shifting the broken bones a little. There’s a good chance Cheren will be breathing a little shallow for the rest of his life.   
  
I still can’t believe that I was the one that did all that… This… I must have been channeling, it’s the only answer, but… Gods, I really can’t control this, can I? I barely even understand it. I need to know more, maybe… No, I doubt Juniper will have any real answers… N. I have to talk with him again…  
  
Well… With little else to do, I went to check on Tyria. She managed to put together most of a coherent sentence. She’s stuttering with everything she tries to say, but… I don’t know if I’ve ever been so relieved to see somebody smile. She’s still stuck in bed, having occasional muscle spasms, but they’re much better than yesterday. Things are improving so fast... I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome.   
  
After that, the day flew by in a blur of travel preparations and stocking. The handcart will be finished tomorrow, and now we’re mostly gathering small things like spare cloth and thread for patchwork, rope, a spare blanket, that sort of stuff.  
  
The harvest festival is tomorrow night. I'd completely forgotten about it until Nico mentioned it earlier, I was just so focused on preparing to leave. I really have no idea what to even expect beyond a huge feast, but I'm glad I'll be around for it.  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 26  
  
I overheard Elena talking with Lauren. Lauren’s going to be taking over the clinic… And she’s not confident about it. Elena assured her that she knows everything she needs to, but I don’t think any amount of reassurance will truly put her mind at ease. She’s going to have the lives of the entire village resting in her care, I could never blame her for feeling afraid.  
  
Elena did secure the help of a couple volunteers to help around the clinic… A Furret Kindred whose name I think was Fenn? And... Annabelle. She’s mostly going to be taking care of the kids. I got to introduce her to them all today, and I think she’ll be a good fit. I also talked with her about me leaving… “I’ll never understand what drives people to do this kind of thing…” She said, “but… You do what your heart says is right. I’ll be here.”  
  
As the afternoon wore on, we started hearing people heading out toward the fields. The harvest celebration was starting. It was probably our last chance to really have fun before we leave…  
  
Before I get to that, though, I should get down how Cheren and Tyria are doing…  I'd rather like to end this entry on a happier note.  
  
Cheren is doing somewhat better, he’s in less pain and can breathe easier, but he’s basically bedridden until his ribs set, and even then he won’t be able to push himself for weeks afterward. Hopefully he’ll manage…  
  
And Tyria… She’s getting better by the day, it seems. Her stutter has gotten less severe, and she isn’t shaking quite as much. Still can’t quite walk properly, but she’s getting there…  
  
We're leaving tomorrow.  
  
I still don’t know what I’m going to tell her.  
  
...  
  
The celebration… It was… Amazing. The whole village was gathered at the outskirts of Anville near the edge of the forest. Among the sprawl of people there were dozens of cooking fires and makeshift ovens, where more food than I have ever seen was being cooked, filling the air with the smell of fresh bread, roasting meat, thick and hearty stews, along with the dull aroma of smoke.  
  
And then there was the music. I've only ever experienced music as songs my mother and I would sing, but here there was a constant stream of  drums and flutes playing lively tunes. I started to dance, and I can’t really explain why. There was just something about the music that made me want to move along. It was like taking the joy I felt from the music and turning it into motion, celebrating this wonderful moment. I probably looked a little silly, but… I didn't care. I wanted that. I wanted to feel silly and carefree, so I let go of my fears and worries for this brief flash of an evening.  
  
As I danced and ate, I met so many people, talking about so many small things. The weather, the harvest, the coming winter, the food, the music… There were those who wished me good luck and safety on my coming journey, but we never talked long. We didn’t dwell on that. It… It wasn’t important. Not then. This was a time to celebrate together… And I felt like I was a part of it. Not just there in the party, but in the community. It felt like I belong here. This is home now. This is where I'll be coming home to, it's the place that I'll yearn for when I'm gone.  
  
As the evening began to wind down, Nico and I broke off from the crowd and flew to a tree at the edge of the woods. We perched on a high branch overlooking the party, watching the cookfires dying and crowds slowly dispersing under the barest sliver of moonlight. We didn't say much as we sat there, instead just… Listening. Letting this moment of us together happen quietly and without fanfare. It didn't need it.  
  
All it needed was us.  
  
When we finally decided to leave, we walked back home quietly, but when we were just outside the door, Nico told me, “Valna… Thank you. For… For giving me something to care about. More than… More than just doing… The right thing.”  
  
He just went inside after that. Not another word… I don’t know what exactly he was trying to say, but… He was really baring out his heart to me.  
  
I know he meant what he said.  
  


* * *

  
2nd Moon, Day 27  
  
I spent most of the morning thinking about how to tell Tyria that I'm leaving. I thought about just being blunt, or lying and saying I'd be back soon, or even saying nothing and making someone else explain it to her, but… I decided to tell her a story. A story about me.  
  
Not long before we were set to leave, I came to Tyria's bed, and told her I had a story for her. Her eyes lit up, and she almost started to ask what story it was, but I held up my hands and told her to just listen.  
  
“Some time ago, there was a little caterpillar, alone in the woods. She found some friends, who helped her grow up into a moth. She stayed with her new friends, and kept finding more until it was like a little family. She felt happy with her friends…” I looked at Tyria. She was still smiling, still listening closely.  
  
“And then, there was a horrible day when the little moth lost her friends. She was alone again, and became sad, more sad than she'd ever been.” Tyria’s smile sank, and she leaned closer.  
  
“But… She met new friends. One of them was quiet, and steady, but the other was like a little candle flame, dancing in the breeze. The little flame made the moth happy when she thought she'd never smile again, reminded her that the world is truly wonderful sometimes… And brought light to the darkness in her heart.” I saw the moment when Tyria realized who I was talking about… She suddenly looked confused, and I can only assume she was wondering just what I was trying to say.  
  
“Tyria… You're my little flame. Ever since we met in that castle, you’ve never stopped shining the light of your joy. You made me smile when I had nothing left.” I leaned in and gave her a hug. She wrapped her arms around me in return, and for a moment I just let that moment hang there. She was so… Small. So young and… Innocent. She deserves more than the world she’s gotten. Which… Is why I made the choice to leave. “But now… I’m afraid that I have to go.”   
  
She looked at me, brow furrowed in confusion, and asked, “W-where are you  g-going?” She’s still stuttering over her words...  
  
I took a long breath, and sighed slightly. This wasn’t easy for me to say… “I’m going on a very dangerous journey, and… I’m going to have to ask you to stay here.”  
  
She frowned and looked up at me with wide eyes. “No… N-no, I’m coming w-with you! If it’s d-dangerous, I’m coming to k-keep you safe!”  
  
…I knew she’d object. She’s got that fire in her heart that won’t let her stand by... I told her that I don’t want her to have to fight anymore. I reminded her that there would be many more battles like the one she was injured in ahead. She needs to stay safe, otherwise…  
  
She started to tear up. “Y-you can’t l-leave, What about… I want t-to help! I won’t let you go without me!” She grabbed my arm and started tugging on me. I leaned in and wrapped my arms around her, starting to cry a little myself.  
  
“I have to go…” I whispered. She just whimpered into my shirt and clutched me tighter.   
  
“Tyria… Do you know why I’m doing this? Why I’m leaving? This isn't about dragons, or the fate of the world, or being a hero… It's for you. It's for the other kids, for Nico, for Elena… For all of you.”  
  
“For all of us.”  
  
We sat there, crying gently into each other for a while. Finally, Tyria looked up at me and said, “p-promise you’ll c-come back?”  
  
I hesitated… The crushing reality that I might not finish this journey suddenly fell on me, but… In spite of that, I just whispered, “I will, but only if you promise to stay safe while I’m gone.”  
  
There was a brief moment, before Tyria looked up at me with what I can only describe as fire in her eyes. “If you’re leaving, th-then I’ll stay and make sure nobody else gets hurt!” She said firmly. “I’ll keep everyone safe while you go save the world!”  
  
I just about fell apart right then. Because… I realized that I can’t change her. Nothing can, and nothing should. Hers is a fire that refuses to go out, and cannot be hidden. I wouldn’t change that for the world. That fire is what drew me out of myself… It’s what changed me.  
  
I hate leaving her behind. Right then, I wanted to just let her come, so I could have that fire with me, but… This is how it has to be. There’s just… No other way. I stayed until Nico came in and told me we had to leave if we wanted to reach Nimbasa by nightfall. I gave Tyria one final goodbye, and left.  
  
The ride on the Railcar felt long… So very long. When we finally arrived in the Nimbasa ruins, we met up with Selene, who was half asleep, leaning against the wall of the station. We made camp quietly - I can only assume that everyone else was just as deep in their thoughts as I was.  
  
I couldn’t stop thinking about New Anville… This place that, in such a short time, had come to feel like home. I remembered all the people that helped to bring me to where I stood, all the people who gave us supplies beyond what we could have asked for, and all those who wished us safety on our journey. I could spend the rest of my life here, happy and safe… But not yet. One day,after I've saved the Kindred… Then… Then I’ll be able to come back… Back to my home.  
  
Until then… We march for the Victor's Summit, far to the north. To the Wellspring. To where this nightmare all started… And where it will end.


	20. Westward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So do I record, that those who follow might know of our failings, of our fall from prosperity, so they may rise to greater things.
> 
> -Loremaster Alder

2nd Moon, Day 28

We packed up camp around mid-morning and started heading westward, toward the Driftveil ruins. Looking at the map, There are essentially two ways to reach the Victor’s summit, a western and an eastern route. The west route is shorter, but it cuts through the mountains. Even still, I don’t think the east route is going to be any good..I noticed a bit of scribbling on the eastern side of the map - not anything too descriptive, just “Emblems?” followed by “Only on west side”. It’s got to be some of Juniper’s notes, and while they’re all I’ve got directing us westward, it’s better than nothing.

The handcart we’re transporting all our supplies in is large enough that I could lie down in it, arms outstretched, if it weren't for all the sacks of supplies inside. Yesterday we had to take off the wheels and turn it sideways to get it into the railcar, but we managed it. We'll usually have two people pulling, and one in the back pushing, usually Selene. She tried pulling at one point and got a nasty bruise when her tail got caught under the wheel.

It’s nice to be travelling in a group again. Along the way, we spotted a few Pokemon every now and again, but most of them scattered when they saw us. That was, of course, up until we ran into a pair of hulking blue and purple thorned beasts, a Nidoking and Nidoqueen, wandering through the woods. The male was well over eight feet tall, and his counterpart wasn’t far behind.

The Nidoking immediately bellowed at us furiously, and prepared to charge, lowering its gigantic horn to our level. As it was starting to move, I blasted it with a psychic attack and took off. I called for Nico to help me with the Nidoking, and hoped that Selene and Elena could handle the Nidoqueen together. 

Nico and I lured the king away from its partner. We flew around it, blasting it with psychic attacks and pulses of dark energy.. I chanced a few glances over at Selene and Elena, and saw that Selene had quickly wrapped her tail around the Nidoqueen’s neck, and her jaw was clamped around its less armored ear. In spite of her stranglehold, the monster was fighting back ferociously… Until Elena stepped forward. She clamoured up the beast and managed to place her palm against its head. Her eyes glowed with a purple light, and the Nidoqueen immediately froze in place, eyes glassing over.

I was suddenly drawn out of watching them by the charging Nidoking nearly crashing into me, but I returned to the battle focused a little less on the Nidoking. I swear every time I think I know what Elena’s capable of, she pulls out yet another skill she’s never shown before.

After a couple minutes of dancing around the Nidoking, Nico and I managed to whittle it down, and it fell over in a heap. We finished it off, and turned to find Selene still wrapped around the neck of the now unconscious Nidoqueen. I asked if she was alright, and she just said she wanted to make sure it was dead before letting go.

I asked Elena about the psychic trick she pulled earlier, and she said that she’s not particularly good at it - she can really only do it via contact and she’s got no talent for telekinesis, but it’s enough to keep something subdued. 

We ended up leaving the two bodies out in the woods. Selene says that it’s possible to cut around the poison thorns and get at a Nido’s meat, but it’s dangerous, especially with the fully grown specimens, so we figured it best to leave it for some other predator.

A few hours later, it was just about sundown, and we’d reached the shores of the river splitting west and central Unova. Tomorrow we’ll be taking the bridge across, it’s in a much better state than the one leading into Castelia. By comparison, it looks pristine… The bridge is made entirely of stone, arch after arch rising out of the water high into the air. It astounds me to think that people could have built it, the amount of stone you’d have to move is unthinkable... And yet, in spite of the condition it’s in, there’s an air about it that makes it seem ancient. If I had to describe it, it’s… sort of like the feeling you get coming up to a truly massive tree. As you look up at it, you feel so small and brief compared to this monolithic structure… you just know… this is older than the dirt around it.

We’ve set up camp a ways from the shore, though Selene seems to be keeping her distance from the rest of us. She’s been hovering a good ten or twenty yards away from everyone but me for most of the day, to be honest.

Well… maybe I can ask her about it tomorrow. Right now, I’m the only one still awake, just wrapping up this entry before I head off for the night.

It’s the new moon tonight, so I guess that means it’s time to roll over into the next cycle… What a trip this last moon has been… So much has happened, so much has changed… I’ve been looking back at entries from the past weeks, and… I’m so glad that I’m still here, to be honest. It’s a miracle that I’ve survived everything I’ve gone through.

Of course, as I looked back, I kept seeing so many instances of wanting to give up on the quest for the Wellspring. Now, it seems so clear to me that I have to do it, but I really felt that I could get away from it until just a few days ago...

I wonder how Tyria is doing… I hope she’s still smiling, making every moment a happy one.

 

* * *

 

3rd Moon, Day 1

Things got really cold today, especially this morning. Thankfully, we have some pretty heavy cloaks to keep warm, but I remain nervous about the coming winter. That said, the day was pretty uneventful. We crossed the bridge without issue, and it was a few more hours of walking to reach the Driftveil ruins after that.

Driftveil has a markedly different feeling to it from the other ruins I've been to. Everything is built outward from a big mine at the North end of the ruins, and it seems like half the buildings were here just to support that, if not more. There are warehouses that still have chunks of ore lying about, buildings with broken down machines for crushing the ore, even massive stone furnaces for melting it down. There's a huge number of smaller ruined buildings further out, but almost none of them are still standing. These industrial structures are really all that remain… The only things built with enough care to last this long.

One thing seemed rather out of place, though. Near the mine, we found what looked like a garden, though it had been abandoned for a while. It was recently tended enough that there were still the withering remains of the crops... but we weren't able to find any other signs of people.

We didn't have any luck finding the Emblem, either. It's got to be around here somewhere, though, and we only had a few hours before sundown to look.

When we made camp, once again Selene distanced herself from the rest of us, and this time I decided to ask her why.

“They wouldn’t trust me yet.” She said quietly. “They know what I did. I don't want to make them nervous about me.”

She sounded so… defeated. I thought of saying something more, but… There was nothing I had to say. Even still, I decided that I had to try something. I asked Nico and Elena what they thought of her. Nico didn't even know about her crime, and said she seems pretty committed to our goal. Elena just said “she saved my life, Valna. Me, Tyria, Nico… Regardless of her past crimes, she risked her life to save ours. That goes a long way.”

I went back to Selene, and told her what the others had said. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at me, before shaking her head. “You don’t get it.” She said firmly. I objected, and something in her eyes flared up. “Fifty-eight days.” She said sharply. “Two months in that cage, and do you know how many people so much as spoke to me during that time? Barely a soul. Elena may have come by with extra food every now and again, but I hardly think that constitutes trust. I killed a man. Even in a community as large as Anville, almost everyone knew him in some small way or another… And they knew me just as well. After the first couple weeks of cursing my name, they left me to rot. I broke their trust… Threw it on the ground and shattered it with what I did.” She glared at me with gleaming yellow eyes that made my blood freeze. “Don’t pretend to understand what things have been like for me.”

I could barely even think of moving until she broke her gaze. Once she did, I bolted, sweating and panting as I went. I can’t explain why I felt so… terrified. There was just something about her eyes...

Before I went to bed, I spent some time talking with Nico. I needed to clear my head. We talked about the stars and what we saw between them, and a half dozen other idle chattings. I avoided saying anything about Selene... I’m still not sure what to think about what she said.

 

* * *

 

3rd Moon, Day 2

We got up today and immediately set out looking for the Emblem. We combed through the mining equipment for hours, searching every building for some sign of an Altar, but we found nothing. Admittedly, I kept my distance from Selene. I was still reeling from last night.

A few hours after Noon, Selene left to look for food in the woods to the west. Much later, she came back empty handed. While she was hunting, she found a group of Kindred holed up in a small cave outside the ruins. She said they used to live just inside the mines, but they'd been chased off by Pokemon.

I asked Selene to take us to them. This sounded like it might be related to the Emblem, and even if the Pokemon chasing them off wasn't related, they'd know the area better and might be able to help us find it.

After a couple hours of walking, we came to the cave, and we met the Kindred hiding within. There were more of them than I'd thought, a whole family of five Sandshrew and Sandslash Kindred, a Golem Kindred, a Krookodile Kindred, and finally a small family of three, a Jumpluff and Sawsbuck Kindred, and their daughter, a little Deerling Kindred who was maybe a couple years older than Tyria. I was a little surprised that the couple of them were both women, can’t say I’ve seen that before, but… Well I haven’t seen a lot of things before.

I asked them what happened to drive them out of their homes, and the Krookodile Kindred explained that nearly two months ago, a bunch of powerful monsters showed up in the depths of the mines. After a couple days, one of the Kindred disappeared, and they decided to leave to avoid losing anyone else. Ever since then, they've been holed up in this cave outside the ruins.

A bunch of powerful monsters all showing up without warning… That had to be the Emblem. I asked if there was an altar of some kind in the mine, and the Golem Kindred chimed in that there was something like an altar in the cavern at the bottom of the mine.

Of course… At the very bottom. I avoided looking in that mine because I didn't want to risk being attacked underground, and naturally the altar is as far beneath the surface as you can get.

With a sigh, I said that we were going to clear out the Pokemon. If any of them wanted to help… Well, they could come with us. I tried to explain what we were doing as best I could, telling them about the Emblems and the Wellspring, but they didn't seem convinced, for the most part. Even still, the Golem Kindred, a huge, heavy set man named Shane, offered to guide us down there. A moment later, the Jumpluff Kindred, a rather small woman (still taller than me, of course), stepped forward, but she was quickly stopped by her partner. The Sawsbuck Kindred grabbed her shoulder and muttered, “Olivia, what are you doing?”

Olivia turned around and told her she was going to fight. The Sawsbuck Kindred pointed at their daughter and said “Halia needs us, we can't run off and risk our lives fighting some needless battle!”

“Reah, I have to do this-” She said. Reah objected. “I'm going, this is-” Reah objected again. Finally, Olivia shouted, “I'm doing this for Erik!”

Reah went quiet. After a long moment of silence, she just said, “Alright, but... I'm coming with you.” 

Olivia moved to object just like Reah had so many times, but she quickly added that she was going to make sure Olivia was safe, and she relented.

Shane, Olivia and Reah came back with us into Driftveil. Along the way, I asked Olivia who Erik was and… well, he's the one who disappeared… her brother.

I think I can see why she's so keen on this…

We relocated our camp to just outside the mine entrance, and our three new companions helped us prepare a heavier meal than usual, with extra beans and meat. We’re going to need it tomorrow. 

An hour after dusk, I caught the slight sound of slithering behind me. I whirled around, heart racing, and saw Selene there, looking down at the ground. Her hood was drooping, and her mouth was curled into a frown. “Valna, I’m… I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry.” She started, slinking down to the ground. I sat down carefully, still eyeing her a little nervously. “You were just trying to help, and I… I lashed out. I let myself get angry at you about things I brought on myself.” She sighed, and started to idly weave a few blades of grass into a braid. “The last couple months have been… Horrible. And that’s my fault, but… it makes me angry sometimes.” 

She finished wrapping the grass together and looked at the tiny braid in her hand. “You didn’t deserve that. You’re the only person who’s really trusted me in so long…” She slowly unravelled the braid. “I… I’m afraid I might have broken that now. Broken the only friendship I have left.” She looked up at me. Her eyes, still the same vibrant yellow as before, didn’t carry any of the paralyzing anger that they had before. Now… they looked soft, and… broken.

“I... understand if you want me to leave...” There was a brief pause, and she started to turn away. My mind rushed to figure out what to do, and… Before I really knew what I was doing, I’d rushed up and wrapped my arms around her.

She froze, and I told her that I didn’t care. I told her that I still trusted her, that she was still my friend. She took a steady breath, and quietly asked, “Why?” Her voice wavered as she spoke.

“I can sense people’s emotions…” I explained quietly, “I can feel how much you regret it… And more than that, how much you want to make things right. It’s like a bonfire, radiating off of you with blinding light.” Selene started to sniffle a little bit, “I trust that feeling. More than I probably trust myself.”

She brought her arms up and wrapped her scarred, muscled arms around me, holding me close as she started to cry.

We stayed there for a while… until her tears stopped, and she finally told me, in the faintest whisper, “Thank you,” and left.

A few minutes later, she brought her blankets over and laid them out near the rest of us. Before she went to sleep, she gave me the sort of smile you have after you cry… Not crying because you’re sad, but… because everything is right again.


	21. The Fifth Emblem

3rd Moon, Day 3   
  
We woke up early this morning, ate a quick meal, and went into the mines. Shane led the way, carrying one of a few little trinkets Elena got from Juniper, some arcane tools that produce light. I was glad to have some proper light going into the depths, no matter how good my night eyes might be.   
  
I fell in line near the rear of the group. I was feeling nervous about going in there.. I don’t know what it is about caves, but they just set me on edge in a way that my old home never did, even though that silk covered hollow was even more cramped than this mine. Maybe it’s because of the warmth, or the softness of the silk, or even just knowing it was home… Or maybe it’s because I can fly now, and I don’t want to be trapped in a space where I can’t take off.   
  
The tunnels kept going steadily down, occasionally opening up into small caverns. I could still spot a pickaxe or hammer every now and again, lying around since they were abandoned here centuries ago. Compared to artefacts from the surface, they were in remarkable condition, not showing nearly so much rust and wear.    
  
For the better part of an hour, we descended. At one point, Shane turned to us and said we were going to climb down a shaft, and then we’d be in the monster’s territory. We all shifted nervously, but held firm. Shane led the way down, showing us a series of handholds punched into the rock by his own hands. Climbing down that shaft was terrifying, but I think we all knew it wasn’t the most dangerous task we’d be facing today.   
  
We all managed to make it down, though Nico did slip and fall probably ten feet before landing on Shane. He laughed it off, saying Nico was a lightweight, which… Well he’s right. Nico was fine aside from a bruise from landing on Shane’s rocky back, so we pressed onward.   
  
That part of the mine was much less finished than the rest, barely even having a proper floor in some places. It felt more like a crack in the ground than a tunnel. As we progressed, I started seeing tiny, colorful crystals that I swear glowed faintly, though it was hard to tell with our lights on.   
  
Finally, the narrow tunnel opened into the largest cavern I have ever seen. Larger than I would have even thought possible, and even more stunning was what I saw inside it: Crystals. Gently glowing crystals jutted out of every surface, many smaller than berries, some larger than I am by far. They gleamed silently with their own light, sparkling like a thousand colorful stars in a subterranean sky.   
  
At the center of the cave, I spotted something that stood out from all the crystals: The altar. Unlike most all of the other altars, this one wasn’t just plain stone. Even from afar, I could see dozens of the crystals embedded in it, making it shine just like the rest of the cavern. I even saw flecks of gold on the surface.   
  
As we all stood and marveled, one thing started to creep back to my mind… Where were the Pokémon? For all the crystals we could see, there was no sign of the monsters we were told about. It was difficult to see anything besides the crystals further into the cavern, but we couldn’t see even a bit of movement. “Where are they?” I asked, and Shane held up his hand.   
  
“They’re underground.” He said quietly. He motioned for us to follow, and we started moving down into the cave. After we were maybe halfway to the altar, he told us to stop, and stepped away from us. “Get ready.” Was all he said. We all steeled ourselves for battle, and waited for him to act.   
  
Shane slowly raised one leg high into the air and slammed it into the ground. His foot sank into the rock, crushing the stone like it was nothing. The whole cave shook, not enough to risk a collapse, but more than enough to wake a sleeping Pokémon.   
  
The shaking died down slowly, only to be replaced by another rumbling from further in the cavern. In the distance, the floor itself began to move, rising and breaking before finally revealing the dull sheen of worn steel. A massive metallic serpent rose from the rock, and locked eyes with us. It was impossibly large, more than sixty feet long and entirely capable of swallowing any of us whole.   
  
It roared, filling the cave with a tremendous din of echoes and rumbling rage that shook me down to my bones. It coiled, and lashed out with open jaws at Shane. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding an attack that tore into the rock and crystal with ease. We all started attacking, but everything we threw at it only seemed to anger it as our attacks glanced off its plating.   
  
Nico and I took off, only to be suddenly hit by a wave of air carrying a torrent of sand and dust. Looking around, I spotted a Hippowdon emerging from a pile of rocks, pumping out dense clouds of dust from within. I shouted for Selene and Elena to go after it while the rest of us went after the Steelix, and turned my full attention to stopping the hundred thousand pound behemoth.

Nico and I kept blasting with with psychic and dark energy, while Reah tried to get its attention. Olivia was gently floating through the air, throwing bright green balls of energy at the monster, while Shane rolled across the cave, gathering speed before slamming into it with incredible force, but all our strongest attacks could do was dent its armor. I started thinking about where it might have a weak spot, and immediately thought to attack the eyes. I drew my sword and flew in to swing, but as soon as I got close, the Steelix locked its eye shut, covering it with a metallic shell just like its armor.   
  
As we were fighting, yet another monster shot out of the ground, a stout creature with a shining drill jutting out of it's head, and massive claws. It came up right under Reah, tearing into her leg. She fell to the ground and shouted in pain, drawing Olivia away from the Steelix. I forced myself to ignore that and put my trust in them to drive it off. No, I had much larger things to worry about.

After a long minute of battering away, The Steelix clipped Nico’s wing with a sweep of its tail, sending him tumbling to the ground. He crashed into a crystal, cracking it and leaving him stunned. The Steelix reared up to attack, and I began to panic.   
  
None of my attacks were doing anything, none of ours were! Nothing hit hard enough, nothing had enough power… And that was when something clicked in my mind.   
  
I’m a Channeler.   
  
Remembering what N told me - it just needs direction and willpower behind it - I started channeling power into Nico. I thought about how important he is to me, how much he’s helped me… I thought back to him saving me in the desert, I remembered sharing my pains with him, and I held onto the memory of that quiet moment the night before we left...    
  
Both the emblems on my arm and Nico’s eyes began to glow, and he snapped back to his senses. He threw his hand forward and a pulse of dark power flew from his palm into the Steelix’s face, landing with a massive blast of ringing metal. The serpent reeled back, and prepared to attack again, but Nico launched another blast even more powerful than the first. As I channeled power into him, he kept getting stronger and stronger, every attack hitting harder than the last. Finally, he struck a blast with enough force to completely dislodge a massive chunk of the plating on the Steelix’s face. It’s exposed face was red and raw, slowly dripping blood.

Seeing an opening, I quickly flew behind the Steelix and made my way to its head, managing to clasp my hands on the edge of the torn metal before it was able to notice me. As it moved around, the rough edges of the steel cut into my hands, but I ignored the pain. Instead, I reached for my sword, and raised it above its now exposed eye.  I plunged in in as hard as I could. Immediately, it bellowed a powerful roar that left my ears ringing, and shook its head violently, easily breaking my grip and catapulting me against the wall. 

The impact crushed the air from my lungs, and terror crept into my mind as I struggled to breathe. After what felt like minutes, I managed to gasp in a lungful of air, and finally got my bearings. I tried to stand up, but the impact had knocked my peg off. Instead, I propped myself up against the wall, and looked around. The whirling sand in the room was beginning to settle, allowing me to see much more of what was happening. Shane and Nico were both trying to contain the thrashing, half blinded Steelix by blasting it with everything they had. Selene and Elena were both on the Hippowdon, taking it down as they had the Nidoqueen days ago- Selene constricting while Elena subdued it psychically. Meanwhile, Olivia and Reah were still struggling with the Excadrill. Reah was seriously injured… She was probably barely able to walk with how cut up her legs were, and she was losing a lot of blood. Olivia was managing to keep the Excadrill’s attention, but that couldn’t last forever. The beast dove underground, tearing through the cave floor, before finally leaping out and catching Olivia’s leg. She fell from the air, and struggled to stand back up with the gash in her leg.   
  
“Olivia, hold on!” Reah shouted as she started to move. She limped along as fast as she could with her injuries, dripping blood onto the floor below. I looked back and Nico and saw him still attacking the downed Steelix, while Shane was pounding away wherever she could get a hit in. I decided they could handle themselves, and redirected my channeling to Reah. This time, I tried to focus on her and Olivia, how much they cared about each other, and how much I wanted them to be safe together. Just like Nico, her eyes glowed, though it wasn't as strong. She stopped limping, and began charging full speed, her antlers glowing rich green. When she hit the Excadrill, it got caught in her horns, and while it tried to escape at first, it quickly went still. Reah’s horns glowed brighter, and her legs healed rapidly.

She threw the Excadrill aside with a shake of her head, leaving it open to a final blow from Olivia. When the beast finally stopped moving, the two of them ran up to each other and embraced without a word.

That was one down… Selene and Elena seemed to be keeping the Hippowdon in check just fine, which only left the Steelix. It was fighting, but my sword was still lodged in its eye. I quickly found my peg, got it back on, and stood up. Nico and Shane were keeping it busy, with somewhat more success now that half its face was exposed, but it wouldn’t be enough to stop it. I stepped forward, and cleared my mind. I focused on the handle of my sword, following it with my eyes and waiting for an opening. I wouldn’t be able to get a good telekinetic push with it moving around so much. The Steelix reared back to attack, and for the barest moment, its head stopped thrashing. I shoved against my sword with every scrap of psychic power I could muster, forcing it deeper into the monster’s eye. It roared, and began swinging its head around madly. I put more force on the blade as it moved, and while I couldn’t push it very well while it was moving, it was enough to wrench the blade to the side. It suddenly stopped roaring, and seemed stunned. Slowly, it fell to the ground, its head landing just a few yards away from me.   
  
In spite of it all, the beast was still breathing. For all I knew, it could get back up before long… I had to kill it, and quickly. My mind churned, looking for something I could use to deal the finishing blow. While I was thinking, Nico landed next to me, and handed me a crystal shard as long as my forearm, with a tip every bit as sharp as my sword. “Launch this through its eye!” He said quickly. “With enough force, it’ll go right through into the brain!” I nodded, and told him to pull my sword out. While he was sliding it out, I took a few steps back, and readied my shot. If I got a head start and pushed it along the whole way, the crystal should have enough momentum to carry it far enough… I took off, and held it in front of me. As I gained speed, I pushed on the crystal as hard as I could, and it leapt from my hands, flying like an arrow.   
  
There was the sickening sound of puncturing flesh, followed by silence.   
  
It was finally dead.   
  
For several minutes, we all just stood there, panting and staring in awe at the monster we had just slain. It was so immense, so powerful, the sort of thing you’d never think could even die at all, let alone by our hands. I only pulled away when the urge to go to the altar became too strong to ignore.

I read the inscription, and placed my bloody palm on its center.   
  
“As humanity rose, their will became an iron grip that suffocated the will of the world. Eternity shifted, and Yvetal came forth to shift the beasts of the world into the monsters that would serve as mankind’s counterpart, their balance, their downfall.   
  
By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Monsters as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory.”   
  
...There’s something about this message that is really striking to me. Monsters… If this is right… They’re a counterpart to humanity… Whatever that really means. Maybe even more important is this idea that they’re a balance… What was it that note in the library said about Kindred…   
  
“The Beast-Kin are a corruption, a result of imbalance in the world. Until this imbalance is resolved, there is no hope for humanity to be saved”   
  
I filled in a couple blanks there, but that’s what it said… If we’re the result of some imbalance, it would have to be between humanity and Pokémon, right? Things are shifted too far in favor of monsters, so we’re being corrupted into something in between… I’m still a little up in the air about what exactly this means, but it lines up with everything that I’ve found so far.

The Emblem is, much as I’d expected, just like the one N had on his arm, a set of sharp teeth, that looked like this:

  
  
  
By the time I’d finished receiving the Emblem, Elena was already tending to our wounds, starting with Reah. While I waited for her to come to me, I sat down against the altar and tried to clear my mind of all the stress and fear that had built up over the last few minutes of battle. Even when you know it’s over, some of it still lingers for the longest time. As I sat there… something truly amazing dawned on me.

We’re alive.

We all made it.

Even Reah and Olivia are likely to turn out fine, we managed to come into a trial and come out on top without loss. When I realized it, I started laughing, unable to contain how overjoyed I was that we’re all still here. I kept laughing joyfully for minutes on end, even as Elena was telling me I was lucky I didn't slice a tendon grabbing the Steelix’s plating like I did.   
  
The climb out of the mine was long and tiring, but I didn’t care. I don’t care. I’m just… So happy. So glad that we’re all alright... 

Shane ran off to tell the rest of his group that the mines were clear again, while the rest of us elected to stay at our camp and rest as much as possible… We deserved it. We broke out extra food again and made as hearty a meal as we could. Dried meat, simple bread, boiled beans… It wasn’t much, but it tasted wonderful.

During the meal, Nico sat next to me and quietly said, “that was you down there, wasn’t it?” I gave him a blank look, and he continued. “That rush of power I felt when I was cornered. That was you.”   
  
I nodded, and he smiled. I asked him how he knew about it, and apparently he’s heard of it plenty of times from Juniper. A power to strengthen others… To strengthen myself, even. Although… the last time I channeled into myself… I hurt a friend. But… I shouldn’t focus on that. Not right now. No, I decided to focus on my conversation with Nico, which stretched on until nightfall came, and we went off to sleep

Of course, I’m still awake, looking at the stars as I write. I was running off the lingering excitement for a while, but now I’m exhausted… I can barely keep my eyes open anymore, which seems like a good sign that I should stop and sleep… Sleep peacefully. Because everything turned out right.


	22. A Time to Rest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It began when I awoke to what we were truly doing to our companions, to the Pokemon by our sides... I saw them suffering under our domain, called our equals but treated as servants. I called for change, for freedom, but my brother clung to the old ways. He told me to give up on my "petty dreams" and see the truth, but I did not back down.

3rd moon, Day 4

This morning, everyone gathered together to discuss our plans going forward. The meeting started as soon as I woke up, I'm pretty sure they we're waiting on me. 

Olivia and Reah are going to stay here, they’ve got their daughter to care for, and this is their home… Well, once again, it’ll be the four of us. There’s a part of me that hoped they would come with us, honestly. I know they have to take care of their daughter, but…I feel like we’re going to need every helping hand we can find. Which brought us to the next matter at hand… When should we leave? On the one hand, we could use some more rest after that battle, and Selene is confident that she can find something edible given a full day to hunt, but the longer we wait, the worse the snow will be when we start crossing the mountains. 

It was only when Elena said that she’d like to stick around a couple days to make sure Reah’s legs are healing properly that we finally decided to stay a while longer. Turns out regenerative effects like she did back in the battle don't guarantee a proper recovery.

So, today we decided to rest. To pass the time, I asked Elena to show me a little bit of healing, and she agreed with the barest hint of a smile. She showed me how to clean and bandage a small wound, how to make a splint for a broken bone, how to treat a burn, how to relieve a fever, and a few other tricks that I honestly only half remember now. It was all useful knowledge, but… I couldn't help but wonder… what about her power? Her healing power? I asked her about it, and she said it’s rare for a Kindred to be able to produce a heal pulse, unfortunately. I wonder what it’s like to do that though… To just close a wound like that.

A few hours after noon, Agate arrived with the rest of the little band of people, and welcomed them back home. They were thrilled to be back and safe, and thanked us several times for helping clear out the mine. It was heartwarming to see Reah and Olivia reunite with their little girl, Alice, and… well, it reminded me of Tyria. It was a good sort of remembering, though. It made me smile, thinking of her unquenchable joy.

In the hour that followed, most of the adults were settling back into their home, with the kids running about playing tag. While they were going about, one of them tripped and cut their leg on a jagged bit of rock.

Elena was there almost as fast as her parents, tending to the wound. Just as she was starting to clean it, she whispered something I couldn’t quite hear. I asked her about it afterwards. She looked at me seriously for a moment, then simply said, “Eternity, guide my hand, to mend what is broken, to heal, to make whole.” She looked over at the kids, who were back to running around as though nothing had happened. “It's a prayer, that's all.”

I was a little confused. Wasn't her god… broken? How could it answer a prayer? I was about to ask about it when Elena looked back to me, and sighed. “Why do you hope?”

Her question caught me off guard, and I wasn’t able to really gather my thoughts before she continued.

“You want to have hope.” She said quietly. “You want to believe things will be better, that your efforts will mean something, and... so I do… That hope gives me strength. I hold to that hope in spite of it all because it means something to me on a level that doesn't entirely care about reason. I have… faith.”

She said that her little prayers and such remind her of her faith and help keep her going. And… I think that’s great. Whatever keeps us going is important… I’ve been thinking about my own answer to that question, “Why do you hope”, and all I could think about was Tyria and New Anville. Of all the people back there. Seeing people living and… thriving gave me hope. And the hope that I can really make things better for Tyria and all the other kids in the world… That keeps me going.

The rest of the day passed pretty smoothly. I helped Elena bake some bread for the road, did quite a lot of weaving, and rested. Now, all that’s left is to head off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

3rd Moon, Day 5

I went out hunting with Selene today. She asked if I wanted to join her while she was preparing, and on a whim I said yes. It was pretty much either that or bake bread and weave all day, might as well try something new.

We walked for a half an hour into the woods before Selene stopped and started her lesson. “The key to hunting is patience. As many monsters as there are that attack us, there are even more that choose to pass us by. Those are the ones we want. Those, we can catch by surprise.” She went on to explain that she's known Kindred hunters that outright look asking to get attacked, others who will chase their targets down until they collapse, or those who will track monsters to their nests and attack while they sleep, but she's found the best and the safest way, which is to set a trap and simply wait.

We spent some time searching for tracks, and she started showing me some of the smaller signs of monsters passing through: shifted plants, scuffed dirt, and out of place debris. She mentioned that in a lot of forests we would see a lot of fallen leaves that would leave a trail in them, but this close to the mountains, more than half the trees are evergreens, so we couldn't rely on that as much. More than that, the big thing she wanted to clue me into was smell. “Once you find a trail, the best way to follow it is by scent.” She reached down and grabbed a pinch of dirt, which she held up and breathed in slowly, through her mouth. I caught her just slightly sticking out her tongue.

I asked her what she was doing and she quickly said she was smelling the trail. “Don't you smell with your nose?” I asked with a bit of a smile.

Selene sighed somewhat wearily, and looked down. “Right, yes. It's… It's a snake Kindred thing, it's hard to explain.” I felt a spike of anxiety come off her, and asked what was wrong.

She laughed dryly. “I can't really hide anything from you, what with you sensing my every thought and all.”

“Just your feelings.”

“Thoughts are just self-important feelings.” She laughed again, then drifted into a more serious tone. “I'm more… monster than most Kindred are. For the most part, that's fine but… every now and again someone starts getting leery at me before going all 'quit flicking your tongue out like that, it's freaking me out!’” she sighed and looked up at the trees. “Elena told me it's because I'm from up north, people are more monster-y up there or something. Whatever it is, I try to be discrete about stuff like that.”

I nodded, and apologized for asking. She said it was alright. I was just curious, after all. Still, I was surprised… alarmed to hear that Kindred would treat each other with so much suspicion. It doesn't seem right. Is it because she's part snake? Are people naturally afraid of snakes or something? I don't know, but I don’t like it. Selene doesn’t deserve that. Nobody does.

Selene picked up her lesson where we left off. “I generally track by scent. At first you want to look for something that's out of place in the dirt scent. Though… I suppose I don't know how good your sense of smell is. Mine is a lot better than most.”

I picked up some dirt, and inhaled slowly. At first I just smelled the soil, but after a moment, I caught a trace of something else. I really couldn't say what it was, though. I told Selene, and she gave me a smile. She’d caught the same scent: a monster trail.

We set off, stopping every few minutes to check the trail. I kept getting traces of that smell, and every now and again, it'd get a little stronger. Selene told me that meant we were getting closer to a bigger trail.

As we went, I noticed the way that Selene moved through the forest, careful and gentle, quietly sliding through the undergrowth with practiced care. I know how to make my way discreetly through a forest myself, but it’s more difficult now with my peg leg, and even then, I don't think I could have matched Selene's finesse on anything but my best days. I asked her just how long she's been hunting, and she stopped a moment to think. “Dad started seriously teaching me woodcraft in after I turned twelve, but it wasn't until I was fifteen that he actually took me out hunting, so let's call it twelve years.”

Twelve years… that's more than half my life that she's been at this.

Eventually Selene stopped and said we’d found a big enough trail. She told me to climb a tree and hide. The plan was for me to stun our prey with a psychic attack, then Selene would pounce and bring it down. She also stressed that we should wait for a lone monster, just to be safe.

I nodded and prepared to fly up into the tree, but Selene caught my shoulder. “One last thing you should know. We could be here for hours, all day even, without seeing a monster alone. Remember, patience is key.” With that, she climbed up another tree and prepared to wait.

I settled myself in for a long day of waiting. At first, I tried to busy myself tying knots in a few green pine needles I'd picked up, but when those broke, I decided to just sit and… listen. I slipped into a strange headspace where I almost forgot where I was. I closed my eyes, and only heard the forest, letting every other sensation pass me by. This wasn't the first time I'd done this… I used to do the same sort of thing on many of the long winter days back at the burrow, when there was nothing to do but wait for the snow to thaw. I learned to let hours and hours slip by without notice.

But… It was different today. In the winter forest, tucked in the burrow, there's precious little to actually hear, but out here, in the late autumn, there's so much more to listen to. There were occasional bird cries in the distance, the odd sound of Selene or I moving slightly… But more than anything there was the wind. It came off the mountains, cold and crisp. It rustled the trees and swirled the fallen leaves below… It was rather soothing, in a way.

There were a couple times that I heard something coming toward us from the woods. A small herd of Sawsbuck and Deerling, though none alone, a few Stantler, and around midday, a single Leavanny. When I saw it, I froze up and nearly bolted, but managed to get a hold of myself. It was only four or five feet tall, a far cry from the nine foot monstrosity in Castelia. It didn't seem to have noticed me, and besides… I'm a lot stronger than I was back then. Even still, I stayed tense for a while after that.

It wasn't until three or four hours after noon that a single Sawsbuck came walking down the trail. It was not a small animal, probably four and a half feet at the shoulder, with a large set of antlers that looked just like tree branches, half covered in brown leaves. 

I looked around to make sure it was alone, then glanced over to Selene, who was slowly getting ready to strike. I stunned the Sawsbuck with a psychic attack, and Selene fell on top of it from the tree, wrapping her tail around it and squeezing tight.

At that point, it was over. Selene showed me where to stab it to kill it quickly, at the bottom of the neck, and before long the beast lay dead at our feet. Well, my foot. Dead at my foot.

Selene carved the meat off with a large bone knife, and we headed back for camp. We didn’t take all of it; there was more meat than we could carry, and by the time we could return there, there’d probably be a half dozen scavengers fighting over the leftovers.

Once we got back to camp, we set aside a bit of meat for the evening meal, and started slicing up the rest for smoking. Prepping it took a while and used up a lot of our salt, but we’re going to have enough meat to go with our meals for weeks.

Selene lashed together a pair of frames out of branches and ran twine between them to make the smoker. Once we hung up all the meat, it was just a matter of keeping the fire going and moving the smoker when the wind shifted so it stays in the smoke.

Nico and I have been managing it for three hours now after everyone else has gone to bed. I was glad to have the chance to spend time with him… even if quite a lot of that time is spent, well, quietly. A lot of the time, it just feels like nothing needs to be said. I've kind of come to enjoy those moments the most.

Well, Nico went to sleep a while ago, leaving me alone with the stars. We talked about the stars tonight… Neither of us could figure out what they really are. I thought they reminded me of little flames, dancing in whatever wind there is up there, but Nico said they always seemed cold and distant, light without heat. I told him about an old myth that said if you make a wish on a star, the Lord of dreams, Jirachi, would hear it, and maybe even grant it. I found myself wishing that the Kindred could be safe… safe to build our own world.

Well, I guess I should probably get to bed myself.


	23. Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was many years before overtures of war began to circulate, but during that time it was as though we had never been brothers at all. Looking back, it may seem petty that we would drive ourselves apart over such a disagreement, but you cannot understand the passion I feel for this cause... It is the only just thing I have ever dared to fight for.

3rd Moon, Day 6

 

 

Today was pretty uneventful, aside from a little attack by an angry group of Emolga. They broke up and fled after we took out one of them, so it wasn’t much of an issue. For the most part, we’ve just been watching the smoker and making bread for the road. The more we cook now, the less we’ll have to later. 

It was a good, quiet day. Nico went off for a few hours to gather herbs with Elena, but Selene’s been here most of the day, though she did spend quite a lot of time lying in the sun. Apparently it’s starting to get uncomfortably cold for her, so I guess I must have a higher cold tolerance than she does, because I feel fine.

Towards the end of the day, we had an interesting surprise: Juniper stumbled into our camp. She said she left New Anville because she’s found a lead to some rare arcane tech. It's a reference in some old ledger about a secretive arcane workshop on Twist Mountain that supposedly worked directly for the throne back before the Calamity.

Since we’re all headed the same way, she’s going to come with us until we reach Twist Mountain. Good to have another person with us.

Anyway, we’re going to leave tomorrow, so I best get to sleep now.

* * *

3rd Moon, Day 7

This morning, we said our farewells to Olivia, Reah, Shane, and the rest of their families, and departed northward. We made sure they all knew about New Anville, and they seemed to consider it, though they'd only just gotten their home back, so I think they'll stay there a while longer.

As we walked through the forest into the hills, I kept seeing the looming shape of the mountains through the trees. Getting closer, I realized that I’d never really seen a proper mountain before. Sure, there were some big hills back where I grew up, but those are nothing compared to what I’m seeing now. There’s something daunting about them… They’re just so massive. It’s not even that they’re tall, it’s how each mountain is made of an incomprehensible amount of rock, and it’s just… there, rising into the heavens.

On our way to the mountain, Juniper told us that she’s been through this area before. There’s a cave complex under the nearest mountain that was once a major source of resonant quartz, an important material in artificing. She told me that it’s the most common crystal that can hold a magic charge. She also mentioned that it was often called chargestone, which I think is a much better name, though Juniper insists on calling it by the “correct term”.

The cave runs right through to the other side of the mountain, and the mining tunnels in there should be pretty easy to get our cart through. We decided that sounded like a better plan than trying to go over or around it, and let Juniper lead us to the entrance.

Right now, we’re camped just outside the caves. I’ve taken a look in there, and I find the dull blue glow from the depths a little unsettling. Of course, that might just be the nerves. I don’t want to go through the caves, but there’s no guarantee we’d be able to find a good path over the mountain, and going around would probably take three or four days. This really is the best way, like it or not.

At least it won’t be completely dark, I suppose.

* * *

3rd Moon, Day 8

The caves are beautiful. It’s like the giant cavern the last emblem was in, but it’s every chamber. Sure, most of the stuff close to the surface has been mined out, but further in, there are glowing blue crystals jutting out of the walls and ceiling everywhere. There are even crystals that float, some of them as tall as I am. Juniper had some theories about what makes them hang in the air like that, talking about magnetism or gravitic distortion, but I think I lack the right context to really understand what she was saying.

We’ve also found a fair number of monsters. Most common are the joltiks clinging to the crystals. They mostly keep to themselves, unless we get too close. I've seen a few Electabuz skulking about and we even had a nasty run in with a fully grown Eelektross, but nobody got hurt.

Though… Even before we started running into monsters, this place's setting me on edge. It feels like the air is… buzzing. That’s a terrible description, it’s more like… I can feel the power in the air. My emblems have been glowing constantly since we entered, and I feel a tugging on my mind that only gets stronger the deeper we get. A tugging that feels familiar… But where…

Reshiram. That’s what it is. It's just like in the ruins when I first found it. I just looked at the dragon mark on my arm and the eyes flared a little. It’s trying to tell me something… It wants me to go somewhere.

The path we’re taking through here ignores a lot of the caverns, but if Reshiram wants me to go out there, I have to at least know what it wants.

I’m getting Nico up, I’m not going to sneak off alone again.

* * *

We got a fair bit further into the caves, though I couldn't tell if we'd gone up or down at the time. Being underground confuses my sense of direction. The further we went, the stronger that mental tugging felt, so I knew we were getting closer at least. The other big thing I kept noticing as we went was how the crystals got larger and more common, and I think there might have been a few more monsters than before too, but once we got close to the core chamber, we stopped seeing any of them.

As we entered that very chamber, my head thrummed with how much power there was radiating off the very walls. Every hair on my body stood on end and I felt electricity buzzing through my limbs. All across the room there were great blue crystals floating high in the air, all larger than any of the crystals I had seen in the earlier tunnels. Moonlight coursed in through a vast hole in the cavern above, landing on the form of an immense bird more than three times my height. Its feathers were jagged, almost pointed, and every one was either vibrant yellow or deep black.

I knew enough old lore to recognize it almost immediately: Zapdos, the Titan of thunder and the autumn wind.

It was sleeping, it's chest rising and falling with slow, mighty breaths. Even still, arcs of electricity shot off its body into the crystals around it.

The tugging on my mind turned into a sharp, almost painful sensation, and I felt my legs moving before I was even aware that I had to get closer.

I don't really remember what happened next. Nico told me to stop, but I was barely in control of myself. I remember getting closer, then looking up and seeing Zapdos’ eyes open. There was a bright white light, and then… I was standing in front of Reshiram.

It immediately glared at me. “You waste time.” It bellowed in its impossibly powerful voice.  **“You rest while the world collapses around you. I told you to go to Dragonspiral tower, and now I am forced to draw you to a titan, a piece of Eternity's power, so I can reiterate the importance of this task.”**  It drew closer.  **“The world is dying. There is little time.”**

Wasting time? We were just resting! I shouted back at the dragon, defending myself. We needed that rest!

**"How many times must I-"**

I cut it off, fighting against the urge to just roll over and take it. I wanted to stand for myself. I shouted that the world seems to be holding up just fine in spite of a couple days of rest.

Reshiram stared at me for a long moment.  **"You really do have fire in you."**  There was another pause.  **"Perhaps you are right. Time is… difficult for me to see clearly. I am a piece of something unbound by time, flowing from one moment to another within each age… I am not meant to live as you do, and so my perceptions may be… inaccurate."**

It's difficult for me to wrap my head around what exactly Reshiram meant here. Did it mean that Eternity travels through time? But then… doesn't the spirit change at certain points in time? Wouldn't it have to be "bound by time" as Reshiram says?

Silence settled in again. After a moment, Reshiram simply said,  **"You have questions. Ask."**

I decided to start by asking about Eternity and time, as I was still very confused, and I think it made it a little clearer?

It pondered this for a moment, before slowly answering.  **"Imagine the flow of time as a river, flowing through a series of rooms. Each room is an era, an eternity, and in every one stands an incarnation of Eternity. This incarnation can walk through that room, forward and back, seeing the whole of time and every way it could flow. It is not that it travels through time, it is that it exists outside of it almost entirely. Entirely, save that every incarnation can only move within its own era."**

I… Think I get it. I think. It still feels odd trying to wrap my head around it, but I decided in the moment to just move on and ask another question. Namely, what happened that caused the Calamity? And what was it?

**“I remember little of the events that led to the shattering of Eternity, but in the aftermath, I felt rage and hatred for my counterpart, Zekrom. Guiding this anger was a man, a prince, who fought for the order of humanity. Zekrom, too, had a man guiding its wrath, fighting for the _chaos_  that the monsters bring.”** It said the word chaos with so much hate…  **“We battled… And I lost. In this defeat, the very balance of the world shifted, deeply in favor of the monsters. All that followed resulted from this defeat. The bonds between humans and monsters were shattered, and humanity succumbed to the spreading corruption, turning into what you call Kindred. With Eternity torn apart, there has been nothing to stop the descent into oblivion that will surely come.”**

…There it is. Two princes who brought the world to its knees for their causes. And the Kindred… We are a corruption. We were never supposed to exist. We shouldn’t exist.

…I hate that I just wrote that. It’s  **wrong**. I don’t care what Reshiram says, we aren’t just a mistake. This is  _our_  world, broken though it may be, and we have every right to it that humanity ever did. 

I looked down, and spoke quietly. “So… You want to get rid of us. The Kindred.”

**“I would see you restored to what you were meant to be!”**  It howled.  **“Humanity must return, or else there can be no balance, no future. This is a truth even Zekrom has finally come to understand. It may have relished in its victory for three hundred years, but it has finally recognized that this cannot go on. Without balance, without restraint, the monsters will not be able to sustain themselves for much longer. They will only grow more violent and unstable as time passes, and eventually the cycles of life will break down entirely. Just as humanity once nearly ended the world by crushing life underfoot, the beasts will end it by empowering it to the point of utter collapse”**

Humanity almost destroyed the world. What was it that the last Emblem’s oath said... “As humanity rose, their will became an iron grip that suffocated the will of the world”. That’s what that was. I can only imagine what could have happened.

Anyway, as much as I wanted to argue about the Kindred, I decided to drop the matter and move on. If this was anything like the last time we spoke, we didn’t have much time. So… I asked it a question that i’ve been thinking about in the back of my mind for a while now…

Why me? Why had Reshiram chosen me?

After a brief moment of quiet, it simply said,  **“You are capable.”**  It went quiet again, but eventually it continued.  **“You are a channeler, and you have a will like a blazing coal. Quiet, perhaps, but hotter than any flame. I sensed that will when you were dying in the desert. A will to live. You were the first to come who had the power, will and ability to take me to the Wellspring. I used much of my remaining power to give you the strength to fight that day, because I could not afford to lose you.”**

I felt my stomach knot up right then. Strength to fight… To fight Cheren. Reshiram… did it make me hurt Cheren? I… felt a hot, fiery anger rise in me, and I shouted, "You made me hurt them! You did that!"

**"I did no such thing! I merely gave you power, I did nothing to shape your actions!"**

That… That couldn’t be right.  _Can’t_  be right. I… I wouldn’t hurt anyone…

No, that can’t… He’s a friend, I wouldn’t…

Did I?

Did I want to do that?

…

...After a long moment, the blue light of the tunnels suddenly crept into the edge of my sight. The vision was fading.

**“That burst of power is reaching its limit. You must return to your duty. Gather the Emblems, go to Dragonspiral Tower. Take… What time you must, but know that all that is rides on your success.”**

With that, I snapped awake, on top of Nico's back. He was quickly carrying me back to camp, and judging by how out of breath he was, he'd been at it for a while- he was already halfway back.

I told him to let me down, and he immediately set me on my feet. As soon as I had my balance, he was making sure I was alright. He checked my vision, my balance, my reflexes… I asked him what he saw happen, and he was convinced that Zapdos had attacked me with lightning. He saw a white bolt shoot into me, and I fell unconscious. He got me out of there as fast as he could. When he finally finished checking on me, he stepped forward and hugged me tight. “Don't do that again. Don't let me think you're hurt.”

I stuttered a moment… He caught me a little off guard. Then, while I was still trying to figure out what to think, he said, quietly, “I don't know what I would do if something happened to you.”

For a brief moment, we stood there together, before Nico suddenly stepped back, blushing. “I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have grabbed you like that” He said quickly, looking away.

I told him it was alright… Honestly, I felt comfortable in that moment… I kind of wish it had lasted a little longer.

We walked back to camp in silence until I noticed that something was still bothering Nico. I asked, and he said that Zapdos spoke to him. “It said to 'keep that one safe’ which… that must be you.”

I asked him what bothered him about that so much. Turns out, Zapdos sounded weak, like it was really sick. Nico's a little shaken by this because Titans are supposed to be both responsible for and manifestations of the world around them. They are tied to the state of the land, and if one sounded that weak, then what does that say about the world?

As far as I could tell, it says what we already know: The world is broken. If Reshiram is right, it's outright dying. Nico just nodded when I told him that. “I guess I hadn't fully internalized it all.” He said quietly.

I was taken aback at that. Didn't he realize how important this all was?

He looked down. “I don't know if you've noticed but… I tend to do things without fully realizing why. I've sort of been going at life on obligation, always doing what I know is the right thing, even when I don't really… grasp why that is.” 

I asked him outright… “So you're here because you feel obligated to?”

“No. This is different. You're… different.” He blushed, and looked up at me. “I came because I believe in you. I want you to succeed.”

We arrived at the camp just a moment later, and Nico insisted on getting Elena up to make sure I was alright, leaving his statement to hang in my mind. Elena told us we shouldn't have gone off like that, but ultimately said I was just fine and went back to sleep.

With Nico finally satisfied with my well being, we've gone off to finally finish the night's sleep, but of course I still wanted to record all this. For whatever reason, my entire conversation with Reshiram feels so vivid, even now, like I can't forget even a piece of it. I wonder why that is?

And… then there's what Nico said. “I believe in you”. It reminds me of what he said the night before we left Anville… “Thank you. For giving me something to care about. More than just doing the right thing”. Did he really come just because of me? I don't… I… What am I even feeling right now? I'm confused, and flustered, and… happy. A warm, glowing kind of happy that makes me feel… loved… like I matter to someone… to Nico.

...

I think it's about time I went to sleep. Hopefully we'll be out of these tunnels by the end of tomorrow.


	24. Deserving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When the war began, the nation itself tore itself in two as different groups aligned themselves with me or my brother. In truth, it wasn't a war so much as it was chaos given form. All across Unova, skirmishes broke out between militias and the forces of lesser lords. It would be months before we consolidated our forces and the war began in earnest.

3rd Moon, Day 9  
  
I had a nightmare last night. It was… it didn't make much sense, too broken up for that, but I kept seeing Cheren in that clinic bed, struggling to breathe because of what I did. I also heard him… shouting at me when he saw me. And then… at the very end, I saw something I haven't seen before, or at least, something I don't remember. I saw Cheren bound by bands of light, struggling to get away with fear in his eyes.  
  
Then I snapped awake. I didn't bolt up gasping or anything… It wasn't that kind of nightmare. More the kind that stays with you all day… And stay it did. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened, about how I hurt Cheren.  
  
I thought about it as we packed up camp. I thought about it as we walked through the tunnels. I thought about it while Juniper talked to me about her research. I even thought about it while we were fighting off the occasional monster. The only point in the day that I was able to put it out of my mind was when Elena found someone watching us.  
  
We were taking a short break to eat something, when Elena heard something. She slowly put down the bread she was handing out and stared at what seemed like nothing. Nico seemed to notice what was going on and stood up, following shortly behind her. I distinctly remember seeing her ears twitch as she made her way closer to the shadows. Looking closely at the spot she was heading for, I noticed that it was a rather rare part of the cavern that was completely hidden from the dull glow of the crystals. Looking even closer, I was able to catch a figure crouching within. I was about to say something when a masked Kindred in tight, dark blue clothing leapt out with blinding speed and attacked Elena.  
  
He lashed out with a blade mounted on his wrist. Elena managed to dodge the first blow, but he quickly rammed the blade on his other arm into her side. It all happened so fast that I could barely keep track of what was happening, and the man was sprinting down the tunnel before Elena had fallen to one knee. Nico rushed to Elena's side, and she told him to “get the antidote kit, now.”  
  
Nico ran to the cart, leaving Selene, Juniper and me to deal with the fleeing attacker. Selene went after him, but she couldn't match his speed. I took off, and launched a psychic blast at him. He stumbled, but kept running. Or rather… almost leaping. He kept launching himself forward, almost like a frog jumping. I lashed out again, this time just as he was about to land, and the pain caused him to misstep and tumble to the ground.  
  
Juniper came running up first, and threw a small yellow crystal at the man. When it landed, bolts of electricity burst out, and I managed to barely hear him grunting slightly in pain. He tried to get up, but his whole body was twitching uncontrollably, and refused to hold him up. A moment later, Selene reached him and slammed into his back, pinning him to the ground. She ripped off his mask and demanded to know who he was, even as she wrapped her tail around him. She had some trouble avoiding the blades on his wrists, which, looking closer, I realized were attached to his arms. That, along with a small blue horn on his forehead and a bright red patch of skin on his throat, told me he was a Toxicroak Kindred. Though, his hair was white as a dried out bone, which seemed really off.  
  
Selene kept asking who he was, why he attacked Elena, and was about to punch him when Juniper ran up and said that he was having an “electrically induced seizure”, and wouldn't even be able to speak for a few minutes. Which is to say that he was paralyzed by that burst of electricity  
  
I figured Selene and Juniper had him under control, so I ran over to Elena, who was clutching her side with a glowing hand, healing her wound, as Nico frantically mixed herbs. He finished a mix and dumped it in a cup of water before handing it to Elena, who downed it quickly. She waited a moment, then started rattling off a new list of herbs. I asked if there was anything I could do, and she just shook her head. She said that she hadn't had to treat Toxicroak venom before, and was trying to improvise a counter-toxin.  
  
I watched for a minute as Elena's condition seemed to worsen, unsure of what to do, when I had an idea. I dug my monster encyclopedia out of my bag and found some first aid information listed in the Toxicroak entry. I gave the book to Elena and, with a little old world knowledge, she managed to bring the toxins under control with the right batch of herbs. Even still, she was pale, and weak.  
  
At that point, I left to check up on our new captive, and he hadn’t said a word in spite of Selene’s demands, and probably a little bit of squeezing. This would go on for some time before we finally gave up. We might have been able to get him to talk if we’d really pressed him, but we all refused to go the route of torture. Though… I think I have some idea of who he is, or at least what he was doing. I think… I think he’s with Team Plasma. Half of that is probably just a gut feeling, but it seems right to me. Who else would be spying on us? It’s the only thing that makes sense... still, we ended up just tying him up, hands and feet, and sat him in the back of the wagon until we could figure out what to do with him.  
  
I got the idea to use some rocks to dull his wrist blades, and while I was grinding the edge off these blades to better hold the man prisoner, my mind flashed back to one of my earlier run ins with Team Plasma, back in the cave outside Striaton. I remembered Cheren saying we should just kill the captives then. Bianca and I convinced him not to and… In a way, that lead to Plasma pursuing me in the first place. It dawned on me that maybe it would be safest to kill this man...  
  
Then I remembered Cheren’s fear in my dream. Right before I nearly killed him. No… I wasn’t going to take the violent way out… Safe though it may be. I couldn’t let myself hurt someone. Not again.  
  
For the most part, we agreed we couldn’t just let him go, but nobody had any real idea of what to do with him otherwise. Though Elena did point out that it wasn’t a good idea to take on someone who wasn’t going to help feed and protect the group. Well, after making sure Elena would be alright to walk... we took him with us. He continued in his silence, and we eventually stopped trying to get him to talk, but we were always keeping an ear open in case he said anything. I’m hoping we can eventually get some information out of him.  
  
We eventually made it out of the tunnels, and emerged into a cool, late fall afternoon. The sunlight was beyond refreshing after so long underground, though it seemed much cooler than it should have been. I've heard that it's colder in the mountains… it must be that. We’re camped outside what must have once been a warehouse in the ruins of Mistralton. The city is interesting… It seems like there are a lot of these warehouses about, sort of like Nimbasa, though they aren't as uniform, or in as good condition. Maybe this place was a trade hub of some kind? Still, we've only been here a couple hours, so we haven't been able to look for the emblem the map says is here.  
  
Actually, on that note, I asked Juniper just how she found where the Emblems were anyway. She said she had to cross-reference religious texts with historical records to pin down the locations, but the altars were important sites in the old world's culture, so it wasn't all that hard, aside from a few misleading accounts pointing to the opposite end of Unova. She said that she hasn’t even gone all the way across the mountain range  
  
We're taking shifts watching our mystery prisoner, but he hasn't made any real attempt to escape, let alone speak. We took extra care in binding his arms so he wouldn't be able to cut the rope with his wrist blades, but… I don’t like this.  
  
I guess… That just leaves the last thing clinging to my thoughts. For the last couple hours I've just been staring at the page trying to work it out… I can't get my mind off Cheren. All day I've been distant in my own thoughts, just about ignoring everyone. I’ve gone over everything in my head two dozen times… Cheren told me himself that he was going to capture me for Ghetsis… He attacked me. I was just… defending myself…  
  
Then why does it still hurt?  
  
Why do i still feel so… broken? Every time I break it down I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do. I… I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to think, what to feel… I just… don’t know...  
  


* * *

  
  
3rd Moon, Day 10  
  
We set out looking for the Emblem this morning. Nico and I took to flying, while Selene searched the buildings below. Elena and Juniper stayed at camp. Juniper stayed to watch the prisoner, and Elena is still injured, though the wound thankfully hasn't turned out to be too serious, and she’s recovering well.  
  
Honestly, we would have found the altar pretty quickly if we'd looked outside the main city ruins earlier on. I should have thought to check the massive tower outside town, but the map said it would be inside Mistralton, so that's where we looked. It was only when Nico and I decided to fly a little closer that Nico saw a variety of large monsters roosting at the top of it. He says there's even a Braviary and a Mandibuzz, which wouldn't make any sense if they weren't both there guarding an altar. They're too territorial for that, not to mention that Mandibuzz is a desert monster. That's got to be the spot.  
  
Once we told everyone about the tower, we went back to camp. After a big meal of bread, smoked meat and beans, we started settling in for the night. While I watched everyone getting ready for sleep, my thoughts started drifting back to Cheren. That moment from my dream the other day kept playing in my head, over and over, until I just… something clicked in my head, and I stopped thinking rationally. It felt like everyone else knew, that they were just waiting for me to hurt them too. I had to get out… I needed to leave.  
  
So I did.  
  
I slipped out without a word, and flew off into the woods. I found a little clearing, and just… sat there, staring at the ground. It was stupid. It was dangerously stupid. Run off into the woods alone? What was I thinking?  
  
...Selene was the first to find me. She paused when she came into the clearing, giving me a careful look. Then, she came up, sat down next to me without a word, and looked up at the stars. "It's a good night for stargazing." She said quietly, barely above a whisper. "My mother once told me that the stars will always be there. After all is said and done, they'll still be up there… watching over us."  
  
I didn't say anything. I wanted to be alone, but… now, I think I was wrong. I needed someone right then.  
  
She started talking to me… telling stories, asking about books I’ve read... I don't really remember all of it. It wasn't important, anyway. It just… helped me feel calm.  
  
Eventually, she went quiet, and let the moment linger for a bit. Then, she looked over to me and asked what's been bothering me. I lied… not sure why, but… I told her I was fine. She just smiled a little and said "no, you're not. You've got a look about you… one I know very well." She put a hand on my shoulder and asked, "what's weighing you down?"  
  
I thought about not telling her. That was my first instinct, but… after all that happened in Castelia… the wrenching nightmares, the horror… and how sharing it with Nico made it better… I don't think hiding things helps anymore. I don’t think it ever had. So… I told her.  
  
I told her that the injured man she found in Nimbasa… that was my doing. I was the one that hurt him and his friends. I told her that I knew him, and still I hurt him. I told her about how I didn't remember it, but… everything points to me. I chose to hurt Cheren.  
  
After a moment, Selene put an arm around my shoulders. "I'm not going to pretend that it doesn't hurt." She said. "Guilt gnaws away at you, leaving you… crushed. There's not really a way around that." She looked up, "but there is a way through it."  
  
"Over the last couple weeks, I've started to figure some things out. About guilt… and about forgiveness. The thing is, no matter what you've done, you have to be able to move on. Put your mistakes behind you while resolving to be better. You keep going, stumble, and learn. And… you forgive." Her voice went softer, "that's something I only started to understand after that conversation we had a week ago. In spite of what I said to you, and what you knew about what I did… you forgave me. Maybe it seems like a small thing to you, but… that was the first time someone had really forgiven me in months. It… got me thinking. I talked to Elena and Nico, and like you said… they trusted me… forgave me. I felt… Amazed. I was thrilled, and yet… I couldn’t let it go. I still felt that regret gnawing away at me. Eventually… I realized there was one person whose forgiveness I needed most." She looked right into my teary eyes. "I needed to forgive myself."  
  
Her arm around my shoulder turned into an offer for a hug, and I took it. I'm starting to realize that I need people when I'm upset. Holding someone close reminds me of the world outside my head… where people care about me in spite of it all.  
  
"You're too good to ruin yourself in guilt, Valna." Selene said quietly. "It's hard, I know. I know it all too well. But you have to forgive yourself."  
  
…I started to cry. I just… It was what I needed to hear. I cried into Selene’s shoulder for a few minutes as I felt… better. It was like the gates of my heart just opened, and everything came crashing out, leaving me… Calm.  
  
“If there’s anyone that knows about regret, it’s me.” Selene said. “The thing is… It’s in the past. You set right what you can, you learn from it… And you keep moving forward. And you seem like the type to keep going no matter what."  
  
After a while, we sat back down next to each other, and just looked at the stars, until Elena finally managed to find us. She seemed rather calm about it, and I think she smiled when she saw Selene and I exchange another hug.  
  
...I… I don’t deserve these people. Somehow I’ve managed to find some of the kindest people in the world, and they… They care, they care, they care. And what do I offer them? A nigh-insurmountable quest flinging them headlong into danger? Silence? A little help around camp? What do I do that-  
  
I… I forgave her. And that… that was enough.  
  
Maybe this isn’t about what I deserve… Thinking about it now… What have I ever really gotten that I “deserved”? My mother's love? The ability to read? No… I think… I think it’s about kindness. It’s about… caring for each other. Like I was there for Selene last week… She was there for me tonight. We didn’t do it because we thought the other had “earned” it. We did it… because we care.  
  
… I think that’s kind of beautiful.  
  
We walked back to camp together. Nico eventually showed up from looking for me, and I could see the tension leave his body when he saw me. I ran up to him, hugged him, and said I was sorry for running off like that… He said it was alright, and... we all went off to sleep. well, except for me. I had to write all this down.  
  
You know… I think I'm going to sleep well tonight.


	25. The Sixth Emblem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once our forces were marshaled, we fought in earnest, battling not for glory, gold or power, but for belief. For what is right. To take the future of the world and shape it into what we believed best. We spared little thought for the people, thinking that if we fought for what was right, any sacrifice was justified.

3rd Moon, Day 11

I'm never going to get used to the crash after a tense battle, am I? In the moment, it's all do or die, but once things calm down, it's like everything holding me together just collapses, and I spend the rest of the day in a dazed stupor.

I suppose I should start with the tower… We left for it early in the morning, leaving Juniper to watch the prisoner. Elena insisted on coming even though she's still favoring one side after the attack. And frankly, she  _had_  to be there if anyone got hurt. 

The tower was a big structure of weathered grey stone, probably ten times my height before the main walls stop. Atop that, there's a big ring of open archways, and a huge, weathered bell at the center. I felt nervous looking up at it, though what was in the tower was far more unsettling. It was a mausoleum, nothing but graves and tombs on every floor, around every corner. Almost all of them on the bottom floor were torn open and looted. It all happened a long time ago, judging by the dust, but as we ascended, there weren't so many looted graves, and we soon discovered why. There were ghost monsters crawling in every shadow on the upper floors, and yet… they didn't attack. They just watched. My only thought is that they're watching the graves for some reason… We didn't disturb them.

Before we reached the top floor, Nico stopped everyone and pulled us aside to talk. He had a plan. "Listen, those are all fliers we saw up there. Big, nasty fliers. If they're smart they'll keep their distance and use their flight to an advantage, which is fine by me, as it’ll mean they’re not rushing us down.. Hopefully, a couple of them will rush us and we can counterattack. We should be able to lure out the Braviary pretty quick at least.”

I pointed out that that he and I can also fly, but he just got even more serious. "Valna, you've had your wings for what, two months? Those birds and I have been flying out entire lives. You've gotten a lot better at flying, but if you let them catch you in the air, they'll rip you apart." He took a deep breath, turned back to Selene and Elena, and explained his plan. Basically, we would all work together to get the monsters within Selene's reach, where she would quickly finish them off. I was to try to stun them and pull them in with telekinesis, while Nico tried to keep them all from rushing us at once. Elena would, of course, be the emergency medic, hiding on the floor below in case someone got hurt. All in all, it was a good plan. Fairly simple, but good. We all agreed, and steadied ourselves for the battle to come.

I can't say how long the moment lasted before Nico burst out onto the roof. Everything felt… not frozen, but… tense. Like a bow about to fire, everything from Nico to the air itself felt like it was about to snap into action, and yet the moment never quite seemed to come...

...Until everything happened at once. Nico slammed his wings back and launched upward, sending out a black blast that hit the Braviary right in the eye. It turned, spread it's enormous wings, and let out a massive screech. The birds scattered, and we rushed into battle. It went well at first, with me pulling in the Braviary and then the Swanna when they flew too close to Selene, who took out both of them with a couple doses of venom, and probably enough crushing force to splinter the bones in their wings. However, things quickly proved more difficult with the Mandibuzz and Skarmory that were still trying to bring Nico down. I tried pulling them in, but nothing I tried had any effect on the Mandibuzz, and the Skarmory was just too big and heavy. Trying to slow it down was like to stop a boulder falling off a cliff.

I was about to try just grabbing one of the Skarmory's wings to send it spinning, when I heard this horrible screech, and a huge purple monster swooped down, directly at Selene. It slammed into her, grabbing her with a pair of huge pincers. Looking back on it now, it was clearly a Gliscor, but I had never imagined they could be so large. Selene thrashed and tried to jam her fangs into the monster's body, but the creature barely even responded as it started dragging her towards the edge of the tower. I ran after her, panicking at the thought of her going off the edge. 

I tried to grab them with psychic power, but the combined weight of the two was even greater than the Skarmory. They slowed down a little, but I couldn't maintain my grip. The monster kept barreling forward, carrying Selene off the tower.  
  
I dove after them, They were falling quickly, with Selene holding tight to the creature that would otherwise glide to safety. I only had seconds to react, so I started channeling into myself. I thought of what I must have felt after Castelia, barely alive, but refusing to let it all end. And I thought of that moment, today, and how I would  _not_  let Selene die. For the slightest moment, I felt hesitation, thinking I might hurt someone again, but I crashed through that. There wasn’t time to care about that. 

I felt a surge of power rush into me like a gale behind my back, and I directed all of it at Selene and the Gliscor. They froze in the air, and I pulled them apart. The effort of manipulating two large creatures at once gave me a headache like my mind was going to tear itself apart, but I kept going. I held them apart, straining even with the channeling boosting my power, and slammed the monster into the side of the tower. It screeched as its head crashed into the stone, but I wasn’t finished. I slammed it again and again, until I heard a distinct cracking sound, and it went still. I released it, and it fell like a rock, slamming into the ground where it remained still.

At that point, my vision was blurring from the piercing headache, and I almost stopped channeling before realizing Selene was still only held up by that power. I slowly lowered her to the ground, before finally collapsing from the strain of it all. I remember Selene coming up to me and thanking me for the save, but beyond that… She must have carried me up the tower, because when I came out of my daze, I was up there with everyone, and the battle was over. Nico had managed to break one of the Mandibuzz's wings, taking it out of the air, which left him open to bombard the Skarmory with dark blasts until he did enough damage to cripple it as well.

Elena was seeing to our wounds, but thankfully we came out alright… Nico got some nasty cuts from the Braviary in the opening of the fight, but is otherwise alright. Selene probably has a couple of cracked ribs from the impact of the Gliscor tackling her, as well as some deep gashes where it grabbed her, but Elena says she should be fine, though she’ll be having some chest pain for a while.  
  
Once I had some time to clear my head, I got up, and made my way to the altar. The symbol was inscribed on a pillar of stone behind it, and it looked… like this.

 

 

It was somehow unsettling, which… doesn’t make any sense. It’s just a symbol, and not of anything scary, and yet… something in me felt it just wasn’t right. The words on the altar weren’t much better.  
  
“With the monsters came conflict, discord, death. The world humanity built collapsed around them under the beasts Eternity created, and Giratina watched from The Beyond as mankind fell.

By ancient rite, having surpassed the trial laid before me, I accept this Emblem of Disaster as a brand upon my heart and soul, that I may rise closer to victory.”

Eternity just… watched? How long did this era last? Just how disastrous was it? If it was on the same sort of scale as the Calamity we’re facing, that could have nearly wiped out all of humanity.

...But… No, this is different. The Spirit of Eternity was still there. It was still watching… Not like now. This is something else entirely.

I asked Elena about what she thinks of Giratina, and she explained that she thinks it was needed. The world had nearly collapsed under humanity's dominion, and Giratina let it all be destroyed to give the world a clean slate to start anew. I still don't like the idea, not at all but I suppose that's at least some explanation.

Well… Aside from the altar… There was the bell. There was something else inscribed on it. It said… “To those who leave us, we call to you. Let this bell ever ring that those beyond may know that we remember.” I put my hand on the weathered bronze. It was a mottled green color from centuries of neglect, but… I rang it anyway. It took all of my weight to move the thing, but when it rang, it echoed through the air like… I can’t quite place it. It resonated with me, and… it was probably just the inscription calling it all to mind, but… I remembered my old friends. Alva, Tristan, Freyr… and of course, Cantor and Iora. I cried a little. It still hurts, but... I think that hurt isn’t supposed to go away.

I also remembered the good times. Learning how to use my psychic powers from Freyr, Alva saving me from that thing in the library, and… way back, seeing Cantor and Iora together… I didn’t quite see it so much then, but… They really cared for each other. They… loved each other, really. The weird thing was… as I was standing there, crying, I found myself wishing that I had something like that with Nico.

Then… He came up behind me. He asked if I was alright. I turned, and saw that face, that expression of genuine concern that Nico has shown me so much, ever since he first asked me about what happened back in the desert. Right then… I realized that I do have that. He cares about me… and I care about him. He’s done so much for me, and… if anything happened to him… I don’t know. I just… I can’t imagine that. I won’t. I won’t  _let_  that happen.

I grabbed his hand and held it close. I whispered “thank you” to him, and added… “for caring.”

The rest of the night has been something of a blur. Not a lot has happened, really. Just resting. Juniper was glad to see us back. Apparently the captive still hasn’t said anything, or even tried to escape. Something about this captive situation is really getting to me, it doesn’t feel right. Maybe we should let him go. Only… That doesn’t feel right either. That doesn’t feel safe. Surely he has to say something eventually… but what then? And… why do I feel this is a decision I have to make? I was talking to Selene about it just now, and she said she was starting to think we should just leave him, but… “I don’t know, it’s up to you.” She said… 

Why me? I… I'm not a leader, I'm just… trying to do the right thing… And yet they followed me. They came out here because I needed help. Like it or not… I’m at the center of all of this. And somehow, I brought us all together.

I guess that makes me a leader...

I’m going to sleep now. It’s been a long day.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a couple hours now. I’ve tried to sleep, but... something keeps haunting my thoughts.

We came so close to losing Selene today. 

I barely managed to save her… What if I hadn’t managed it? What if I had been caught up in fighting, or the channeling wasn’t strong enough, or...

We need help. We need more Kindred to fight by our side... I'm scared to think of what might happen if we keep going with just the four of us...


End file.
